Iron fey spin off (fanfiction)
by Kittymagicat
Summary: Tyne gets captured by the winterfey for the powers he didn't know he even possed. But the queen has been wanting him ever since his parents escaped her clutches and he has run into Rowan and Sage. But all is not quite as it seems as Rowan appears to like him. Could he be the one to melt Rowan's frozen heart?
1. Chapter 1

_-Disclaimer: I do not own any characters you may see here from the original series nor do I own the original series itself.-_

My name is Tyne, and I am winter 's heart. It is my job to stop the Unseelie Court from spreading into the Wyldwood and into Seelie Court territory during the winter , I have partner who does the same to the Seelie Court during the summer months. Her name is Anharlia and we work together to keep summer and winter in theirrightful places and to keep the balance. I am nineteen even though I look seventeen (I still think it's trippy) but hey, I guess that's what happens when you are an immortal fey. Anharlia seems used to it already.

Technically, I am very young but I don't feel like it. Most fey are at least several centuries old and anything less is considered young. I suppose in a way I'm still a baby compared to them. Anharlia is considered young and she is older than me by quite a few centuries. She won't tell me her age. I think it makes her feel old, but I daren't ask. Anything seems to set her off now days. It's gotten worse. She sometimes has breakdowns... over her parents and I guess mine too.

Anharlia and I have been the hearts of winter and summer since both our sets of parents died. It may seem like a tragedy and I am sure that to her it was. However, I was four when the incident occurred and as such have no recollection of it or my parents. She, on the other hand, was already a couple of centuries old when it happened. I have grown up with her for a parent, although she acts more like a sister to me.

Anharlia has a heart of pure gold! She has long red hair and startling green eyes that seem to look right into your soul. She cares for pretty much every animal in the Briars. She helps them when their wounded, when they want to talk about problems and sometimes if there isn't enough food, she manages to feed them. I help whenever I can. I'm alright at healing, (secretly I think I'm rather good- but I can't say that) but I suck at everything else. Anharlia says I don't have the correct mind set. I really don't care about their cousin kissing their girlfriend, or whatever else it is. To me that's just gossip, and gossip isn't something I do.

My parents lived in the Briars in Wyldwood, how long for, she refuses to tell me. I suspect a few centuries but cannot be sure. I do not even know how long she has lived here for. When my parents died, the heart (a blue and white swirled translucent crystal, small enough to fitin the palm of my hand) passed on to me.

My mother, Kayla, was the original keeper of the heart but then she fell in love with my father. A keeper of the heart may choose another person to help them protect and guard the heart. That way, if one of them dies, the other can go on protecting it. However if both did, like the case of my parents, then the heart passes on to either the eldest of their kin or a chosen successor.

My parents never choose a successor and I am their only child. Anharlia got hers the same way at the same time. We were all out together in the Wyldwood. Anharlia was a couple of centuries old and my parents were several centuries older than her. I was four. We were attacked by a wyvern. My parents told us to run. Anharlia carried back to the house in the briars. None of our parents never returned, but the hearts did.

They appeared as we slept. When Anharlia awoke the summer heart (a yellow and green translucent crystal) was in her hands. She screamed, waking me up. The winter heart was in my hands. At the time I was too young too understand any of this. I would frequently ask when mummy and daddy would be back and she would cry.

Of course you are probably thinking about how a four year old managed to be a protector of the heart. I have no idea. Anharlia refuses to tell me much of what happened in the years when I was growing up. In fact I only really started to remember things when I was eleven. I suspect she blocked my memories but I don't want to accuse her of this if she hadn't.

We supposedly spent most of my childhood playing and learning the ways of the Briars so we could cope without my parents. I don't believe her. I know it must have been difficult for her, our parents dying like that, but I think if we had really spent my childhood like that, she would tell me about it when I ask. Or maybe i'd remember it.

The Wlywood was as its name suggests, wild. The trees were a tangled mess and brambles often reached out to snag on your clothing. There was always something rustling about casting a feeling of unease. The place seemed to be alive.

My real story starts one day when I was out in the Wyldwood and ran, quite literally I'm afraid, into a winter prince. It was very unfortunate. Especially as his mother, Queen Mab,wanted my parents back. As it turned out, before they lived in the Wyldwood they had lived in her palace under her influence and control. They had married, then escaped from her as they were worried that she would try to take the heart from them. Fortunately the summer heart protectors had recently done the same and whilst in the Wyldwood, ran into each other.

Don't ask me how, but Mab knew my parents had had me and knew they had died. Somehow she even knew what I looked like when I was nine, short, blonde, pale and violet eyes. This gave her enough to go on to order her people that if they were to ever see someone who looked like me to capture me and bring me to her.

And of course my bad luck led me to walk straight into a wyvern's nest and fall on to it. Then, in my mad rush to get away from it, I fell right in to Mab's hands by hurtling into a winter prince and of all the princes, it was the one who had the reputation of being a cruel, frozen, jerk. From that moment on, I was screwed as my luck didn't get any better.


	2. Chapter 2

_\- when Tyne runs into the winter prince (first person). Please review, constructive criticism is always welcome.-_

Walking out of the briars was always nerve wracking for me. I know if you were to ask most other fey they would say that they would avoid the briars as much as possible, but I had always lived in them. They were not scary to me. I knew my way around and the creatures inside may not have liked me, but had come to accept that I lived there too and so didn't hurt me. The same could not be said for the Wyldwood. I made my trips to theWyldwood as rare and as quick as possible for there always seemed to be something lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce. Always something watching me with unforgiving glowing eyes that seemed to stare right through me. I hated this place, but today I had to go.

Anharlia needed a herb to heal an injured fox sort of creature. She had already told me it's name but I had forgotten it. All I knew was that she needed the herb to stop an infection. Well, that and the creature had wicked sharp teeth and that it didn't like been petted. My hand had a loose bandage around it, as whilst the teeth may not have been large, they were long and the marks they had left were deep. The bite still throbbed, but more of a dull sort of ache then a blinding pain.

So lost in my thoughts, I hadn't realised I was still walking. I stopped abruptly and started to search for the herb. It was a tricky one to find. It grew close to the ground and was green with tiny purple dots. It's leaves were almost perfect circles. All in all, it was rather pretty but as it was so small, it was difficult to find.

I stayed crouched rather low as I ran my eyes over the diversity of plants. There were hundreds of different species. It was rather amazing. In fact, I was so absorbed in my job that when I tripped up and fell down, it was not really a surprise. I am very clumsy. What surprised me was that the rock that I had had fallen against had started to move.

Leaping to my feet in astonishment, I looked up at it. What I thought had been a rock turned out to be a wyvern. My blood ran cold and for a second I was frozen to the ground in horror. The wyvern swung its head around and spotted me.

"Thief!" It roared at me.

"N...n...no," I stuttered back "I didn **'** t steal anything!"

"Liar!" It thundered.

Scared out of my wits, I then did the only thing I could think of doing. I ran. Scrambling out of what appeared to be the wyverns nest, I sprinted away. I am a pretty fast runner when I want to be. In fact, I was getting away from the thing as it crashed through the undergrowth.

Unfortunately, I was going further into the Wyldwood and had no idea how to get back. I kept running and even though I could no longer hear it, I was sure it was still following me. Keeping up my pace, I continued to run for another good five minutes. Then, I risked a glance behind me. I could not see the creature anymore.

Suddenly, something crashed into me. Or maybe I crashed into it. Either way I was the lighter and so fell backwards, sprawling on the floor. As I lay there slightly dazed, I thought I could hear the wyvern in the distance, slowly getting louder. Although that could have just been the pounding of my heart.

Glancing up **,** I finally caught sight of what or rather whom I had just ran voice suddenly ceased to work and I was left mouthing words with no sound. The person I had just ran into was no doubt nobility, who however I didn't know but I didn't know exactly who he was. For a moment all I could do was stare. He had skin so pale it looked white, sharp piercing blue eyes and tousled black hair. And he was looking down at me with amusement.

My voice made a reappearance. "Sorry!" I blurted out. "I'm sorry," I repeated.

The male looked away from me, clearly deeming me not worth his time.

"I say, Sage, come look at this strange creature." The male spoke to his companion who had been checking one of their horses legs.

Said companion, Sage, walked over. I was too deep in thought to be offended at being called a creature. Desperately wracking my brain to think of where I had heard that name before, I stayed where I lay.

"It's not a creature, Rowan. It's some sort of fey," He sounded bored and despondent as though he didn't really care what happened anymore. Rowan...Sage... I recognised their names, but I wasn't sure why.

Finally it hit me. I knew who they were! Rowan and Sage, princes of the Unseelie Court. That's when I felt the panic set in. They were princes of a court that my parents had lived in fear of and had risked everything to get away from. My head started spinning and I could hear crashing. Fear coiled in my stomache, clawing at my insides like a trapped animal. I took in a shaky breath.

"It may be some sort of fey, but I'm telling you it's not normal," Rowan replied.

I resisted the urge to jump to my feet, punch him in the face, and run. If I did that they would follow me. If I stayed still and didn't talk, maybe they would get bored and leave.

"How is it not normal?" Sage replied finally sounding interested.

"The mark on it's left shoulder. Strange, isn't it?" Rowan pointed out

I found myself looking at my shoulder too. Then seeing in horror that my mark, the mark that showed I was winters heart was showing. It was a silvery blue and started from my elbow twisting and curling up my arm, on to my shoulder and stopping at the base of my neck. I yanked the shoulder sleeve of my shirt back up, covering it, but I was too late. Sage had seen it and by the look upon his face, he knew what it was.

"Rowan, remember that couple that ran off with Winter **'** s heart?" He started **.**

"Yeah. What of them?" Rowan replied

"I think we just found their child" Sage finished, looking back down at my now covered shoulder. My mother would have had the same mark.

Rowan looked thrilled. "Oh, mother will be pleased," he practically purred. Then quick as a flash his hand shot out and grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet. Unfortunately, I weigh about the same amount as a small cat. I don't know why though. This meant he overestimated how much force he would need to get pull me upright. As a result, I flew forwards into his chest for the second time that day.

"Light little thing aren't you?" He told me looking down in a vague sort of surprise, as if this sort of thing happened to him regularly. I doubted it did. He raised an eyebrow at my lack of response but pulled me over to his horse nonetheless. I had never ridden before.

The horse looked at me and I took a step back, into Rowan, again. I needed to look where I was going. But if he thought I was just going to go and get on it with no fuss, he had another thing coming, I couldn't just walk up and get on. Besides, I was too short.

"Scared?" Rowan asked.

I nodded my head slightly, then at his surprised look, I wondered if it had been the right thing to do. Rowan clicked his tongue at the horse, which proceeded to kneel. He lead me up to the horse and I awkwardly climbed on it. Rowan ordered the horse to get back up. Then, he too mounted too. He sat behind me and put one arm around my waist to hold me in place. The other held the reins casually, and I noticed that he appeared well practiced at this.

I mourned the loss of leaving the briars and started wondering if I would ever return before we were off. I had no choice on this matter, of that I was sure. So as the horse started to pick up speed, I took one last look around, unsure of what my fate would be.


	3. Chapter 3

- _Please review, constructive criticism is always welcome.-_

My head pounded and it seemed to be getting louder, though it could have just have been the rhythm of the horse's hooves. My eyes were tired too. Leaning back further into Rowan,I found he was warm. I had thought the winter fey were supposed to be permanently cold,but maybe it was just a rumour. My eyelids were heavy and for some reason I felt safe in his arms. My lids drooped and eventually I was lost to the black swirling abyss that was sleep.

I woke up when I practically fell off the horse. Luckily, I managed to grab on to it before that happened. Nervously I looked up to see what was going on around me. Rowan was leaning against a tree watching my every move. Wondering why we had stopped, as we appeared to still be in the Wyldwood, I stretched up and almost lost my balance again.

Glancing back at Rowan, I noticed he looked to be amused by me again. I wanted to get off the horse but had no idea where to start. I decided that I should probably ask how long we would be here for, or why we had stopped. Then I would know if there was even a point in me getting off.

"Why have we stopped?" It was simple enough, but it got to the point. Mainly, I was just glad my voice hadn't deserted me again.

"To have a break. The horses are tired." Rowan replied he said it in an even voice that held no trace of emotion.

"Oh, I see." I muttered then I cursed myself. How long would we be here? I reminded myself again. I asked the question and was rewarded with a somewhat elegant shrug from him. I inwardly sighed.

"Is there any point in me getting off this...this... thing?" I had never been social, and apparently I wasn't good at it either.

"I don't know. Is there?" He replied hardly paying me attention to me.

Again, I found myself inwardly sighing. I would have to do this on my own. Fortunately, for the moment he was talking to his brother. Looking down at the creature below me, I wondered how to go about this. Eventually I decided, get both my legs on one side and slide off. This proved to be trickier than I had imagined. I did manage to get both my legs on one side, but then the horse moved and I sort of fell, rather than slid, off it's back. I hit the ground and my knees buckled. I ended up on all fours. My legs, had gone to sleep.

I heard chuckling, so I looked up. Rowan and his brother were sniggering at me. I scowled.

"You really haven't ridden before have you?" Sage asked me. I didn't really feel like replying so I opted to shake my head instead. My legs had decided that they would wake up now, but I was half wishing they would go back to sleep. They ached all over. I felt like they had been pulled apart and repetitively punched all the way up. I felt a little shaky.

Sage snickered again and I resisted the urge to try to say something to him. I knew that in my head it would sound clever and sarcastic but when I spoke it aloud it would sound childish and ridiculous. I threw him what I thought was a venomous glare, but I wasn't really sure. I didn't really do glaring.

Rowan sniggered and I guessed it hadn't been very threatening. I got to my feet and decided to use my oh so helpful voice again.

"Where are we?"

That's all I seemed to do now, question them. But I found it hard to do anything else. When I was honest, they looked confused as if they weren't quite sure if I was joking, and when I said anything else they shared a look as if I was the most naive person they had ever met. Questions seemed to be the only way we could communicate.

"In the Wyldwood." Came the blunt answer from Rowan.

I found myself wondering if he was always like this, blunt, arrogant, frosty. I felt like he was. My voice had decided that now it was being used it wasn't going to shut up.

"Thank you for that ever so helpful answer. I mean whereabouts in the Wyldwood?" I winced, I really should shut up. But then my voice continued as though it had a mind of its own. "Or," no, no, no I silently screamed at myself, yet I continued "are you lost?" Even though I was terrified at how they might react, Rowan's face was priceless enough for me to have found it funny. If I wasn't the one who said it. And if we weren't in a forest. On our own. With no witnesses. And plenty of animals that would kill you. So instead I watched him closely hoping against hope he wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Of course we are not lost. Do you honestly think I, I could have gotten us lost?!" He snapped incredulously. I shrugged just as he had to me. Although I was nowhere near as graceful, or elegant. It still gave me a deep feeling of satisfaction. Enough to make me want to smirk. If Rowan wasn't looking like he was about to kill me, and if he couldn't actually do that.

Sage apparently found this all hilarious. He was laughing at us. Or maybe just me. Or maybe just Rowan. I honestly had no idea.

"Oh, he has you good, Rowan." Sage sputtered. Rowan who had been glaring at him turned his furious gaze upon me. I threw my hands in front of me, the classic stereotype. Clearly he felt I had embarrassed him in front of his brother. He wasnt letting that go.

"What on earth are you doing?" He exclaimed at me when he noticed my hands in front of me.

Again my voice exercised itself before I could stop it. "Someone has to keep the clichés alive."

He shook his head at my, but dropped it. Amazingly my cliché had stopped his wrath. Instead he stalked off to 'hunt'. I am sure he only went to mope in privacy. I noticed Sage watching me and cocked my head to one side. Another cliche, but if it got the message across without me having to use my unreliable voice, then I was game.

Sage waved a hand at me, dismissing my silent question. Shrugging, I turned around and started searching for edible plants and berries. Sage watched me intently and after a few minutes started speaking.

"What are you doing?" He asked

"Collecting food." I replied, short and to the point, I was putting my voice back on it's leash.

"Rowan has gone hunting. You don't need to."

Apparently I hadn't gotten my voice tight enough on its leash. "Oh, so he is actually going hunting?" It asked

"Yes." Sage replied seemingly confused. "He did say."

"Yeah, but I thought that was just an excuse to go and mope or brood in privacy." I needed a bigger leash. Sage started to laugh. Somehow he found this funny. Unfortunately, Rowan chose this moment to reappear, using magic to carry a dead stag. He raised an eyebrow at Sage.

"Sorry brother." Sage replied but Rowan wasn't letting it go. He probably knew I had been talking about him.

"What's so funny?" He asked

Sage explained. "He started picking leaves so I asked why. He said he was gathering food. I told him he didn't need to." Sage gestured to the stag floating in mid air. "He replied that he didn't think you had actually gone hunting, just wandered off to mope and..." he glanced at me "brood, wasn't it." I pretended not to hear and kept on at my task.

Rowan practically growled.

But then he said "Why are you still gathering leaves. We have a dead stag." I was surprised he was still maintaining the pretense of politeness instead of gutting me.

I turned to them and my voice broke off its leash again. "That's all very well and good for you, but some of us are vegetarian." At which point I spun back around and continued to collect food. Since when had I become sassy?

I continued to work praying they would leave me alone and for the moment, they did.


	4. Chapter 4

- _Thankyou to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible-_

They were cooking the stag. I could smell it. The smoke from the fire billowed up into the dark night sky, taking the smell with it, but not quite all of it. It made me want to gag, and the first time I breathed it in, I did. I hadn't smelt meat cooking or tasted it before. Anharlia had been a vegetarian and she had brought me up the same way. I had asked if they wanted some of my, less animally food. They had declined, telling me that they had no interest in eating "leaves". Naturally I had been disgruntled, it wasn't just leaves. Of course there were a few. But I also had berries and roots and ... and... leaves.

I looked around for something to use to mash up the leaves. A suitable looking rock and pebble were nearby. With a small use of my glamour, I rounded the inside of the stone to make a bowl. Then, I took the pebble and with a little more of my glamour, I rounded the end off. Crushing the leaves was always a fun thing to do and quite a good way to relieve anger. I had seen Anharlia looking like she was about to murder someone as she ground leaves up. Afterwards, she usually looked more relaxed and calm. Of course, I had to put in a little water, but that was easy enough. There was a river about 10 meters from where we had set up camp.

I took my roots, leaves, and berries with me. The roots would need to be cooked. When I remembered this, I took some large leaves from a tree next to me. I can never remember their names, but seemed to remember everything else about them. It wasn't poisonous and its leaves were sort of waxy, so it wouldn't catch on fire. After wrapping up the roots, like a birthday present, though a poor present they would make, I gently set them down near the edge of the fire pit. I was aware of Rowan watching me. It made me nervous. Retreating back to my my place, I dipped my hand in the water and let some drops fall into the mix. I kept beating the mixture. Eventually I had a thick paste, like congealing gravy. I waited until Sage and Rowan had struck up a conversation before I rescued my roots from the pit.

Dipping my cooked roots into the leaf paste, I bit in to one. I remembered the first time I had ever eaten them...

- _flashback-_

 _"I can_ _'_ _t eat this!" I exclaimed to the pretty girl next to me. She flicked her long red hair over one shoulder and turned her bright green eyes on me._

 _"Yes you can. It's delicious, trust me_ _,_ _"_ _, s_ _he replied. I snorted but tentatively took a bite. My mouth was filled with the delicious minty taste from the leaves and the roots reminded me of potatoes, but nicer somehow. She laughed at my face. A look stuck between bliss and shock._

 _"Told you so." She said smugly. Too smugly, so I shook some paste at her. She screeched out. I had called on war. A full food fight was the only way to describe the mayhem we got mixed up in. I laughed throwing a paste covered root at her. She retaliated with a handful of soft berries, that burst when they touched me. I was sure she was using magic. Our laughter filled the air as we ran around the camp fire that night._

 _-flashback ends-_

Realising I had had my eyes closed as I had ate, I snapped them open again. I had almost finished. It always was filling, and now my appetite had gone. The memory was still so close and precious to me that it left a dull ache for her. I missed her already, and I had only been gone for a maximum of 7 hours. But we had perpetually been friends. I had never been without her for more than 3, 4 hours. I had been lazily swishing my hand through the water, without thinking of what lurked below, when a sharp pain in my finger alerted me to the presence of another creature. I gasped out as I pulled my hand from the water. The icieness of the water had dulled the piercing pain. Now I got the full thing.

Even though I was sure I hadn't gasped out very loudly, apparently Sage and Rowan had heard me. They were making their way over, hands on the hilts of their swords. Rowan grabbed my forearm pulling me upright. He had learnt from past mistakes and used the precise amount of force to get me upright. He yanked me behind him. A familiar looking Kelpie poked its head from the water. Sage's glare turned into a cruel smile and he went to bring his sword down. I knew that Kelpie!

Before I could think, I shoved my entire body weight into Sage's arm. I was by no means heavy, but I did enough to save my friends head. The Kelpie was named Blanaca, she often visited me when I dared to enter the Wyldwood. She was very talkative though. Sage and Rowan looked furiously at me.

"What?" I asked.

Rowan took hold of me again and tried to pull me back. I shook him off. Ignoring them, I promptly sat down on the river bank.

"What's their problem?" I asked Blanaca

"Most fey hate Kelpies." She replied sadly.

"Oh. Why?" I asked. Blanaca, though talkative **,** wasn't good at long sentences. They often didn't make sense.

"They try to kill us. We kill them back." She replied as Rowan tried to grab me again. I shoved him off without looking, hopefully showing my determination not to move. He may not like Blanaca, but I did. He would just have to deal with that. Or so I thought. The next time they grabbed me, Sage helped. They still had their swords clutched tightly in their hands, but still managed to pull me back.

However, Blanaca saw what they were doing, saw me struggling, and decided to help me. This meant digging her needle like teeth into my ankle.

"Aaaaah!" I cried out. "Blanaca, let go!" She did. Rowan and Sage pulled me right back up to their fire before they set me down before it.

"What were you doing?" Rowan yelled.

"Me?!" I asked incredulously. "How about you two? Trying to kill her!" I replied, my voice was also raised and I found that even though I was shouting at a prince, I wasnt scared. My anger wouldn't let me.

"It was about to kill _you_!" He roared at me.

"No she wasn't, she's my friend!" I found my voice rising again as I stood up to face him, I winced at my ankle.

"She? SHE?" It was his turn to sound incredulous. "She would kill you you as soon as look at you."

"I may not have many friends, but we are close! Even to her!" I yelled back.

"She isn't your friend. She just wants the chance to kill you!" He shouted back. "Clearly you know nothing of friendship. They are just using you!"

That hurt.

"How dare you?" My voice was reduced to a whisper. " _H_ ow dare you say that, when you yourself clearly have no idea of the meaning of friendship." Tears were streaking down my face. Ignoring the searing pain in my ankle, I turned and with as much dignity as I could muster, I walked over to the river bank and slipped in to the water. It was chilly and came as a bit of a shock. Blanaca slid up out of the water next to me. I put my arms around her neck and let her pull me along.

It was a few minutes before I realised that Rowan and Sage were riding along the bank, keeping pace. I was confused for a few seconds before it hit me. I was technically their prisoner and they had been ordered, by the queen to bring me back. I scowled and turned my face into Blanaca's body. She had the head of a horse, slicked, but she looked a bit like a seal. I supposed I had better get back on land before I froze, even though the water felt good on my ankle. I had Blanaca take me to the opposite bank, to the one Rowan and Sage werenot on, out of pure spite.

Sitting on the bank, I wondered if maybe taking a dip in a freezing river during winter was maybe not such a good idea. The edges were literally frozen. The water still clung to me, and by the time they got across, it had started to freeze. They had frozen up part of the river using magic and walked across. It taken about 10 minutes. I couldn't bring myself to care that I could die from this. All I could think was that Rowan truelly didn't know anything about friendship.

Unfortunately Rowan reached me first, as Sage was starting a fire. He took off his long cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders. I continued to ignore him. I kept my legs hugged up to my body, my arms around them and my mouth firmly closed. My voice had been put on a very tight leash and I resolved to only speak if it was to be blunt or if it was strictly necessary. Rowan put an arm around my back and the other under my legs. He stood back up and carried me to the fire. Still, I pretended not to see or hear him.

Sage cast me an anxious look, I payed him about as much attention as Rowan. None. Instead, I cast my eyes towards the fire, and watched it flicker and dance. It was dawn now. I lay exactly as Rowan had left me, not bothering to move. I felt, rather than saw, him, come to stand next to me. I kept my gaze on the flames. I couldn't, however keep the surprise off my face when he lifted up my upper body and sat down, resting me down on his lap. He started to pull his fingers through my hair. I made an odd contented noise, like a purr, but again couldn't bring myself to care.

I don't know how long I lay there for, or how long it was before I slept. I do not even know when he left me alone again. But I do know that when I woke up I was back on the hard log and I could feel the cold again. Surprisingly my ankle felt fine, and as I stretched it experimentally, I felt a bandage wrapped tightly around it. I would have sighed, if that wouldn't be breaking my oath of not speaking. Or would it? On second thoughts, I don't think it would have been but the moment had passed now.

Propping myself up on to my shoulders, I took another look around. Sage also appeared asleep, Rowan wasn't there.

"He's not here." Sage told me. Obviously, I had been wrong about him sleeping. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking if he thought I actually cared. I did, of course, or I wouldn't have looked, but he wasn't to know that. I rolled over curling my legs up into my body. Even though the fire was near, I was still cold. I closed my eyes again and willed myself to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

- _Thank you to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible-_

When I woke up, my first thought was that my left side was warm. That was when I heard the raised voices. Groggily I lifted up my head and blinked the sleep from my eyes. I looked down and realised that I was lying on top of Rowan. He was the one yelling. Glancing around, I saw Sage standing next to the dead fire and shouting straight back. I couldn't make out what they were saying. They were both too loud and sleep had addled my senses.

Lifting myself up, I climbed off Rowan who didn't even seem to notice me. I was hungry, and those witless goons would have no idea how to make anything vegetarian. Luckily, food was close by. I had no fire to cook with, so instead I washed, then crushed leaves and berries together to make a sweet sort of paste.

Then, I stripped some trees of long large leaves that were edible when raw. Picking up a stone I was using as a bowl, I squashed the tree leaves in. Settling down next to the river, with my back against a log, I started to watch and try to make sense of Rowan and Sage's argument.

"I don't care if that's what you think! We were sent on a job. A job we haven't completed!" Sage screamed.

"It doesn't matter anymore! We have something better, besides we can't waste anymore time. We are already a day late!" Rowan roared back. I supposed I should have been listening from the start. Then I would know what they were arguing about.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? Of course it does, or she wouldn't have sent us!" Sage replied.

I gave up on their argument. They were starting to get on my nerves. My head was pounding again. Looking back at the camp, I saw that they had already packed up. My heart sank. More horse riding. Well, at least we wouldn't have to camp for much longer.

The crashing I had taken to be in my head, was getting louder. Now I was sure it wasn't. Examining the other side of the river, my eyes were drawn to part of the undergrowth. It was shaking. Now I'm not an expert, but even I know plants don't do that of their own accord. Suspiciously I narrowed my eyes, squinting and that was when I saw it.

You remember the huge wyvern I fell on? Don't you? The one that then chased me through the Wyldwood, until I crashed into Rowan? Well, it appears that it's still chasing me. For a second, I met its huge red glowing eyes. Then, I turned and ran. The wyvern followed me.

I practically flew back into camp. Rowan and Sage were still arguing.

"Wyvern!" I screamed but they weren't listening. In fact, Rowan and Sage moved closer together as they screeched. Jumping forward, I grabbed hold of Rowan. He shook me off. I could see the wyvern getting closer.

"Listen to me!" I yelled desperately. Again, they ignored me.

Well I wasn't going to die this way, because two royal dolts weren't paying me attention. I drew in a deep breath and started to scream at them. But, the cheek of it, they continued to pretend I wasn't there. Fine then. I felt something inside of me snap.

I punched Rowan.

Rowan reeled in shock and he turned on me. I knew I should feel scared but I didn't. I still felt angry and also, well, I had had enough of their arguing.

"What the hell are you doing!?" He yelled. But by this stage I was thoroughly done. I simply pointed at the wyvern, who was almost upon us. Then I spun on my heel and started to stride towards the horses.

Rowan appeared by my side a second later. He snapped his fingers and the horse kneeled. I clambered on and Rowan vaulted on behind me. The horse got back to its feet. Sage was on his horse too. At almost the same time they kicked the horses into a gallop. Rowan had an arm around me. He kept trying to pull back into him, but I was still angry. I'm not sure why.

I think that I am one of those people who are slow to anger, but then stay like it for ages. I refused to let him hold me against him. There was no way he was getting off that easily. I hate it when people ignore me. It makes me feel like an annoying kid again, when Anharlia would pretend that I wasn't there whilst she messed about with her friends. They all ignored me too. Obviously when our families died, she had to stop. But I had hated it. I used to sit on my own and cry. That was actually how I first met Blanaca.

Rowan's trying to tell me something. I think I'll just keep on ignoring him, I don't feel like talking. Maybe I will revert back to being mute and using gestures and cliches to express myself. Yes, I think that is a good idea. Unless we get caught by the wyvern again. If that happens **,** I'll talk.

We rode fast for hours. I refused to let myself fall asleep, but I was tired so I think that made the journey seem longer. Eventually, just as I am started to close my eyes for longer and longer periods of time, we came to a stop. The horses seemed exhausted. I never thought they could tire, but that was probably a rumour too. A lot of what I though was true about the winter fey had been proven false. It's as though Anharlia purposely told me all the wrong information.

Rowan dismounted from behind me. I suppose that meant I needed to get off too. Even though I had gotten off before and I had practised a few times when we camped, I was still falling off the creature instead of sliding off. Again my knees buckled. I would have fallen onto all fours like last time. However, Rowan had caught me. I think I would have rather be on all fours though. Pushing him away from me, I let myself fall down. I was so tired I didn't think I could bring myself to move again.

I suppose I could've just stayed there. Rowan had moved the horse away to tie it to a tree, so I wasn't in any danger of being trampled. Uh oh. Here comes Sage. He would probably try to move me, or talk. I didn't want to do either. I wasn't not sure, but I think I trustRowan more than Sage. Maybe it's because we rode together, or he slept with me last night to keep me warm. But I still didn't completely trust him. Sage, I don't trust him at all.

Sage was standing over me. I think he has been trying to talk to me. I probably should have listened.

"Are. You. Tired?" He asked me slowly. I was glad of that. I didn't think I would understand him otherwise. But I decided not to talk, so I simply nodded. Sage groaned.

"Don'ttellmeyournotspeaking, again" he groaned out loud. But he was talking at normal speed again, which made it hard for me to understand. I nodded. He sighed.

"ROWAN!" He yelled. I winced. I don't think he can whisper.

"WHAT?" Came the response, as equally equally loud.

"HE'S NOT TALKING. AGAIN!" Sage continued. No wonder the wyvern found us again so easily. These two were louder than a pair of wailing banshees.

"SO? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT?" Rowan screamed back.

"I DON'T KNOW, HE PREFERS YOU THOUGH, MAYBE HE'LL LISTEN TO YOU. COME BACK AND TRY TO TALK HIM OUT OF IT!" Sage shrieked.

"I DON'T THINK THAT WILL WORK. HE IGNORED ME THE WHOLE WAY HERE. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK HE WILL LISTEN NOW?" Rowan replied

"MAYBE HE WON'T. BUT IT'S WORTH A TRY!" Sage finishes.

"HRRRR." Rowan sighs, ridiculously loud. "FINE!"

I covered my head. I was not interested in what he had to say. Even if all he did was try to move me, I mean, Sage tried.

He came back loudly. It was almost as though he wanted the wyvern to find us again. I resisted the urge to tell him to shut up and stop being such a drama queen. Which reminded me to put my voice back on a really tight leash, so I didn't accidentally speak. Then he was next to me.

"You haven't moved." He stated. I shrugged. I think he is being obvious to try to trick me into talking. "Come here then." He said. I don't know what he is trying to achieve, but I couldn't be bothered to move. I thought that was a mistake, because the next second he had his arms around my waist and had scooped me up, bridal style, again. It was annoying really, but hey, at least I didn't have to waste any energy by moving.

Although, I do wish I wasn't so light. It would make it easier to resist it when people go to pick me up. I remember this one time, when I was 10, Anharlia had friends over. She had told them all I was too light. Then, they proceeded to pick me up and pass me around. It was horrible, I squiggled and squirmed, but they didn't put me down. I don't think Anharlia ever had any control over her friends, otherwise I am sure she would have stopped them.

Something cold against my back brought me back to the present. Rowan had put me up on a fallen tree. My back was up against it, and it was very cold. Sage appeared with a blanket. He draped it over me thoughtfully. I could tell he was about to speak, so I rolled over. I heard him sigh, but hopefully he got the message.

"So you're mad."

Apparently not. I wondered if he was trying Rowan's trick of pointing out the obvious in short snappy sentences. It wouldn't work.

"I can't see why though. I mean, we were arguing and didn't see the wyvern. what's wrong with that?" He asked. I wished he would shut up. I could feel my temper rising. I was still fuming over being ignored and my anger has had no chance to deplete itself.

"Sure, we ignored you trying to tell us, but we we're already talking to each other. You were being rather rude." He continued. My anger was there, at the surface again. I was near the end of my tether.

"You were actually being quite rude, but I suppose you grew up in a wood. Clearly you had no one to teach you manners. I'm sure if you had grown up in a civilised place then-"

I couldn't stop myself. One moment I was practically shaking with anger, the next I was punching him. I had punched both of them now. That can't be good, but he insulted Anharlia and no one does that and gets away with it. I know I shouldn't have punched him too, but at least I got his stomache, not his face like I did with Rowan. Sage could hide his mark. Rowan couldn't. Unless he wore a bag over his head, but I got the impression that's not something he would do.

Actually, I hadn't seen a mark on Rowan's jaw, where I hit him, I hadn't been looking though.

"What happened?" Speak of the devil. Rowan must have seen Sage double over.

"He punched me!" Sage sounded surprised.

"Really? Thats both of us now! What did you do?" Rowan asked.

"I told him I didn't understand why he was mad. He was rude for interrupting us, and that it wasn't his fault as he grew up in a forest." Sage explained.

"Hang on. Let me get this straight. You told him he was rude for saving our lives?" Rowan sounded incredulous. My hand hurt.

"Yes... ahhhhh, that's why! Although I think punching me is a bit of an overreaction."

"Yeah, well, he was already angry." Rowan reasoned. Then he gently leaned over me took hold of my shoulder and rolled me on to my back. I glared at him. A small smirk played on his lips. "See," he whispered to Sage, "angry."

I narrowed my eyes, and tried to roll over, but Rowan still had a hold of me.

"Hey." He whispered. Then, he took my hand, the one I punched Sage with. It was still curled in a fist. Gently, he uncurled my fingers. My middle and index fingers throbbed. He smirked again.

"What's up?" Sage asked.

"He's broken his fingers." Rowan replied. Sage laughed. "How on earth did you manage to break your fingers?" Rowan asked me surprise tinging his voice. I shrugged. "Make a fist for me." He commanded. I obeyed, tucking my fingers in and putting my thumb on under them, not behind them, because I knew that would break my thumb. Rowan hummed. Laying my hand down on my chest. "Nothing wrong with how he makes a fist." He told Sage, elegantly shrugging.

I huffed of course there was nothing wrong with the way I made a fist. Again I tried to roll over, but again Rowan foiled my attempts.

"Give me back your hand." He asked. I allowed him to take it. Clasping his hands around mine, he muttered a few words. His hands glowed a ethereal blue and my fingers tingled. The light died and he returned my hand to me.

"Thank you." I whispered stretching my fingers. Instantly his eyebrows rose, as did Sage's. I cocked my head to the side, confused.

"By saying 'Thank you' you are putting yourself in someone's debt." Rowan explained.

"No you're not. You're showing your gratitude." I replied. I suppose I should talk again, at least to him. He did just heal my hand.

"People will take it to mean that," Rowan countered.

"Then let them. Just because you think something, doesn't mean its true. I used to think the moon was as big as a melon. That doesn't mean it was." I told him.

"When was that?" Rowan asked.

I shrugged. "Up until about ten years ago."

His eyes widened. "How, how old are you?" He eventually queried.

"Mmmm, nineteen." I replied.

"Nineteen... centuries?" He asked. I understood why he was confused. I was very young. Most fey were at least seven centuries old. But i was just nineteen years.

"Nope." I replied watching as his eyes widened again. "Nineteen years. How old are you?"

"I can't say." He replied. At my confused look, he continued, "you don't tell people your age. They can use it against you."

"Oh." I answered. "Pretend I never told you?" I asked.

"Mother might ask." He told me.

"Other than her?" I amended the question.

"Ash might want to know." He countered. Again I found myself wracking my brains, where had I had that name before. It was familiar, but I couldn't remember it.

I hummed "Ash...?" I asked

He smirked. Sage,who had been leaning against a tree nearby, laughed.

"Ash, my younger brother, Ash. Youngest prince of the winter court." He explained

"Oh, yeah, that one." I replied. I knew I recognised his name from somewhere.

Rowan practically cackled.

"I'm going hunting" Sage announced. He flounced off. Hunting. That reminded me I was hungry. I got off my tree and went about gathering leaves, with Rowan hovering by my shoulder, it was annoying but sort of... comforting. I think, maybe, he's not so bad


	6. Chapter 6

- _Thankyou to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible-_

The second Sage returned from his hunt, Rowan left my side. He joined Sage and started whispering to him. I ignored them and continued to eat my very late lunch. It was, so late in the afternoon so that I suppose I could call it tea. Either which way, they were whispering and clearly didn't want me to know. So naturally, I strained my ears trying to listen in.

Unfortunately **,** they moved further away from me. Getting to my feet, I threw the remains of my tea into the river. Normally, I would never do this, but I had no other way of disposing of it. I brushed the dirt off me. They were still whispering. Leaning over the side of the river, I peered in. I was hoping to see Blanaca. I hadn't seen her since Sage tried to decapitate her, and I want to apologise.

Instead, a movement further up the stream caught my eye. I scrambled upright again. The figure took a tentative step out of the shrubs. My heart soared as I recognised them her. It was Anharlia! Her hair shone in the evening light and her eyes glittered. A large smile was spread across her face. She beckoned me over. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that Rowan and Sage were still muttering with their heads bent close. I turned and walked towards her, but she had gone.

When I got to where she had been, I looked around again. Spotting her further in to the woods, I ran towards her. But before I could reach her, she vanished again, appearing even further into the woods. Again she beckoned me. I was done playing games.

"Anharlia!" I called out. A look of panic spread across her face and she had a gesture in an attempt to hush me. I supposed she didn't want Rowan or Sage hearing. I lowered my voice "Don't worry. They're busy!"

She smiled at me again, waving me towards her. I was nervous now. I didn't want to go in any further. But she was Anharlia, I could trust her. I bit my lip, as I walked forward. She clapped her hands in glee. She had never done that before, but I suppose she was happy to see me. I smiled back. Then she turned and started walking around away. I called out again.

She mouthed "a bit further, then we'll be safe."

Relief flooded through me. I could go home. Nodding **,** I strode forwards. She stood and waited for me. I reached out to hug her, but she jumped back. She looked me up and down. Her smile turned into a sneer. Her eyes narrowed.

"Pathetic little fool aren't you?" She snarled. I was taken aback.

"W... what?" I stuttered.

"Scared to wander into the forest alone? Stupid enough to do it?" She laughed. A harsh cruel sound. Nothing like the warm sweet tinkle I was used to. I took a step back.

"Anharlia? What... what are you saying? I'm not alone, I... I have you!" I replied trying to keep my voice even. I wasn't going to let on she was upsetting me.

She laughed again and lunged at me. Her fingers extended into claws **,** her teeth changed to fangs, her bright eyes changed to a gleaming yellow. I cried out, ducking to one side. This wasn't her. I had been tricked.

With no weapon to fight, I did the only other thing I could do, I ran.

Sprinting through the undergrowth **,** I headed in what I thought was the general direction of the river. If I could get back to the open, then the creature would be less likely to attack. Although I was a fast runner, the creature was equally as fast, and it knew the forest better.

My heart pounded in my chest and my head thudded with the constant rhythme of my feet on the ground. The creature was gaining on me. Terror. Pure terror. The kind that numbs everything inside you except the primeval instinct to survive. The kind that fills you up and threatens to engulf everything you once knew.

I knew that if I had been standing still **,** I would have been shaking uncontrollably. But I wasn't. I was running, for my life. I always thought that that sounded so dramatic, but now I see that its only dramatic because the situation it is used in is.

I could see fragmented parts of the river through the trees, but the creature was right on my heels. I didn't know how much further I could run. Finally after what had seemed like ages, I broke through the trees and burst out onto the river bank. I was successful! In my relief, I fell to me knees.

But then I turned just in time for it to lunge at me. Out of reflex **,** I threw up an arm and closed my eyes. Waiting for the tearing agony that would undoubtedly occur when the talons tore into me. Yet, it never came. I worked up the courage to open my eyes and when I did I flinched back. The creature was poised above me, in the exact position it had been in. Frozen in time.

It was like a statue. I didn't know what had happened, only that I had caused this. It looked completely normal, except that it couldn't move. The terror came crashing back and I fell on my side. Curling up **,** I felt tears coming and I had no energy or will power left to hold them back. Shaking and crying **,** I lay in the mud.

I do not know how long I lay there. Eventually I heard voices, but they were dull and sounded far off. Then someone pulled me upright. I shreiked and tried to pull away. My fear held me blind. My brain went shooting through a number of 'what if's' the main one being, 'what if it had friends and they've come to kill me?' Whatever it was tried again. I struggled desperately. Then I was being carried - bridal style - away. I gave up my hopeless fight and sunk back into whoever it was.

After a few minutes of walking, my eyes started to focus again. A blurry face came into view and my disoriented brain told me that I knew them. It was almost a minute later it gave me a name. Rowan. Only then did I allow myself to relax and allow my eyes to droop and then... close.

He had put me down. My eyes snapped back open and I bolted upright. Rowan, who had been sitting next to me, gently pushed me back down.

"Easy there little one." He crooned. Sage joined him almost instantaneously.

"What did you do to statue lady over there?" Sage asked nodding in the general direction of up river.

I shook my head for two reasons **:** 1) I wasnt ready to be questioned, I still felt ready to cry, and 2) I didn't actually know what I had done. I tried to roll over, but Rowan caught my arm.

"We need to know." He told me. Again I shook my head. Although this time **,** instead of rolling over **,** I curled up, placing my head in his lap. He hummed slightly and pulled his fingers through my hair. Teasing out the tangled bonde mess that it was.

"This will be interesting to explain to mother." He announced to seemingly no one in particular. Sage made an noise of agreement.

"He should eat **,"** Sage told Rowan.

"Yes, I know, but what can we feed him? He's vegetarian, remember?" Rowan replied. I moved myself closer into him. Sage sighed.

"I remember." Then he looked down at me. "Hey, squirt, what do you eat?"

I shrugged and closed my eyes.

"How really helpful you are _,_ " He said dryly. "Rowan, talk to him." With that he stomped off.

Rowan sighed and ceased stroking my hair back. I looked up at him. He did gave me a half smile back.

"Okay, little one, what do you eat hmm?" He asked. I blinked. "Other than leaves." He continued keeping his voice soft. I closed my eyes again. "No, no, don't do that," He instructed. I ignored him.

"Alright let's try this." He muttered then he swept me off his lap and stood.

I watched him curiously. He grabbed hold of some leaves, several different types, a few edible, a few poisonous and some that weren't really either. He walked back to me triumphantly.

Thrusting them in my face **,** he asked "Which ones will you eat?" I pointed to two out of the eight different types. He deflated a little.

"Alright," he muttered as he put them next to me and cast the others away. Then he gathered more. We repeated this process several times before he had five different types of leaves. Then he asked "Should I cook them all?" I shook my head. Then I pointed to three of them.

"These the ones I shouldn't cook?" He asked wavering the three I pointed at. Again I shook my head. "Fine." He replied "I'll cook these three and leave these two." I nodded.

"How long do I cook them for?" I shrugged. Until they're ready. My inner voice replied. However, it's leash was on tightly. It would not escape me now. Rowan sighed I am sure I was being tremendously helpful.

He muttered to himself as he started to try to cook some of the leaves. Sage came back a few minutes afterwards. He leaned over Rowan's shoulder.

"Got him to speak then, did you?" Sage asked. Rowan shook his head. "Then how d'you know what to use?" He asked, cleary confused.

"I picked leaves, and asked if they were edible. He pointed and shook his head." Rowan explained.

"Oh." Sage replied. He looked over at me. "You're a pain." He told me. I shrugged, maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Either way, I can't help it. He glared at my lack of verbal response. I resisted the urge to smirk. Sage turned back to fire. I rolled over, and as I did I spotted something small and bloody limping away from as towards the forest.

Swinging my legs over the side of the fallen tree, I landed on my feet. I had to grab the side of the tree, though, as my legs were feeling shaky. Once I regained my balance, I started towards the small shape. As I grew closer, it started to panic, making little squeaking noises. The second I caught up to it, I knew what it was.

Its rusty coloured fur was torn off in a few places, revealing deep gaping wounds brimming with scarlet blood, which had congealed as it dried. It had happened recently, maybe 15 minutes ago? But I hadn't heard anything attacking. A particularly nasty wound was on its left front leg. A long gash had been torn down. But it was a smooth cut. As though someone had used a knife on it.

The creature had a little pointy nose, chocolatey, deep brown eyes and a white chest and tuft on the end of its tail. It was a fox. But not just any fox. A cub. An orphan, just like me. My heart went out to it. Reaching down I swiftly scooped it up and cradled it in my arms.

I put it down on the tree. It looked small, very young, probably still feeding on its mother's milk. That was, if she was around. I used my blankets to create a nest for it. Then I walked over to the fire. Sage was cooking the stag. Rowan was failing to cook my food. I fished the leaves off the fire and put them in to my stone bowl. Then I turned to Sage. My fox cub needed food, and I didn't have milk, meat would have to do.

"Can I have some meat?" I asked.

"Sure, which bit do you want?" Sage replied. I screwed up my nose.

"I don't know." I answered truthfully. I picked up another stone and converted it into a bowl. Sage placed some meat in it. I think cooked deer is called venison. But I'm not 100% certain. Rowan was looking bewildered.

"I thought you were vegetarian?" He asked me.

"I am." I confirmed, but offered up no explanation.

I hauled myself up onto my tree and scooped my fox up into my lap. It made a soft mewling noise. Placing the bowl next to to it, I watched carefully. I didn't know if it would eat this. To my surprise pretty much instantly it tore into the food and started to gobble it down. I suppose it must just be small, maybe the runt of the litter. I petted its head and started my own meal.

If I looked out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Rowan and Sage sharing confused looks. Eventually their curiosity got the better of them. They walked over. I had my back to them.

"Hey, turn around a sec, would you?" Sage asked.

"I can't." I replied.

"Why not?" Rowan asked.

"Because my fox is eating." I answered,

"Your fox?" Rowan inquired.

"Yes. My fox." Then at Rowan's raised eyebrow, I explained. "I found it. So I'm keeping it."

"You can't." Rowan told me.

"Yes I can." I replied.

Sage sighed. "I'm not doing this!" he said.

Then he grabbed my fox out of my arms and tried to carried it off. I then did the only thing I could think of. I'm ashamed to say, I screamed. Like a toddler, but louder and longer. I can hold my breath for quite a long time.

Whilst they were off balance, as I'm sure their ears were ringing, I slid off my tree. I strode up to Sage and yanked my fox out of his arms. I then back to me tree and sat down on it again, placing my fox back in my lap. I went back to petting it.

By the time Sage and Rowan had recovered, I had set my jaw in a stubborn line. Rowan took one look at me, determinedly cuddling my fox and started to laugh. Sage glowered.

"You can't keep it." He muttered " you can't walk around with it on a leash." I particularly felt my eyes light up. I had been wondering how to stop it running away once we were in the winter court. But this, this was a good idea.

"Actually," I told Sage "I can." Rowan started to laugh harder. I put my sleepy little fox back in its nest, then slid off my tree. I walked towards the forest, at the edge I stopped.

Giving them my most sickly sweet smile, I warned them "hurt my fox and I'll murder you in your sleep." I kept up the smiling whilst I said it. Rowan sobered up and Sage looked a little shocked. I know its not exactly honourable, but let's face it, there is no other way I could kill either of them.

Striding off into the forest, I started to look for suitable vines. I found them soon enough. Then I stalked back to our camp. The first thing I did was check on my fox. It was sleeping soundly. Then, I got out my little hunting knife.

Firstly I cut a vine to the right length (roughly from my head to ankle), then I got another one. Smaller this time. About the length of my of my forearm. Then I froze the two ends together, making it in to a circle. I froze the loop to the vine. Then I cut an even smaller piece of vine. I made this one in to a loop too. Then I attached it to the opposite end of the other loop.

I had my leash. Smiling triumphantly, I slipped one end other my sleeping Fox's head. It was a perfect fit. I nuzzled my face into my Fox's fur pleased and happy in the moment.


	7. Chapter 7

- _Thankyou to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible! Longer note than usual, the book mentioned 'carry on by Rainbow Rowell,' is an actual book and the names I used from this book, fully belong to her, along with the characters themselves!-_

So thrilled was I with my Fox's lead, I didn't realise Rowan was sitting next to me until he started to speak.

"We need to leave." He stated **.**

"When?" I asked shortly.

"Right now really. We are near the court, and we're already late." He told me. I sighed as I got to my feet. My little fox, still cradled in my arms, gave a little mew. Rowan shook his head at me in exasperation. I smiled at him. Getting on the horse whilst holding a fox was going to be difficult. However, when the horse knelt for me, Rowan pried my fox out of my arms. Nervously, I climbed on. Rowan dumped the fox back in my hold.

Looking down at it, I wondered if it was male or female, for I was going to name it, I would need to know. I turned to Rowan, who had by now sat down behind me.

"Male or female?" I asked him nodding at my fox.

"Male." Came his instant reply.

I nodded, again, and went through different names. Charlie? No too obvious, everyone has as some point named a pet Charlie. Rusty? Again too obvious. Aristotle? No, it just didn't suit him. Finally after much deliberation, I chose Otto. Cute and short, just like him. But he needed a full name. I thought about different last names, or even giving him mine.

However I then remember a trip to the human world with Anharlia. Whilst there, I bought a book. It was called Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell. I had fallen in love straight away with it.

Could I name my fox after these two adorable goofs? Yes I could! Otto Snow Grim-Pitch. That was his new name! I smiled and leant back into Rowan. My fox looked up at me, and climbed up me a bit, so he was resting on my chest. A bit dangerous, I thought, but he was a fox. He probably didn't know that we were riding super fast on horseback and that moving around may cause him to fall. Or maybe he was just brave. Or stupid. Or stupidly brave.

On the journey I tried to stay awake for as long as possible, hoping to get a glimpse of of the court. Still, it was night. My eyes were heavy and Rowan was warm. Eventually, sleep's long fingers reached out and snatched me and even though I was unwilling to go, there was no escaping its grasp.

To my extreme disappointment, when I awoke we were already within Unseelie territory. I had missed the first magical moment when everything around you starts to glisten and gleam from under its frosty veil. It wasn't as cold as I expected. Anharlia always said it was "as though all warmth had been frozen out and sucked away, no trace of summer or heat left. Where you forgot what its like to be warm and get used to the eternal bite of winter." But then again, she would think that. Her being summers heart and all.

Curiously, I peered around me. Never before had I seen so much snow and ice. I don't think it had ever snowed in the Wyldwood. Not where we lived anyway. As though the heavens had heard my thoughts, they opened releasing a dusting of perfect flakes. They drifted down and to my utter delight, landed on me.

My fox yelped out. He apparently, didn't like the snow. As quick as a flash, he shot up the front of my shirt, pooking his head out of the top. I giggled and rested my chin on his head. A single white snowflake landed atop his nose. He sneezed immediately. I again thought of just how cute my little Otto was.

The heavens then opened even more as snowflakes started falling thick and fast. My jacket was soaked through in seconds. Then it did a curious thing. It began to freeze. I shrugged it off, which was quite difficult when on a horse and with a fox under you shirt. Although my shirt had short sleeves and the snow was landing on my bare arms, I didn't feel cold. Looking at my arms, I finally saw how pale I was.

Everyone always describes pale things as snow white. My arms were the exact same colour as the snowflakes. For the first time, I realised how odd I must look. Blonde hair, snow white skin and Violet eyes. Yep, I sure did look weird. Anharlia says I got my hair from my Father and skin and eyes from my Mother. I, myself, have no idea if that is true.

Rowan glanced down at me, and did a double take. Quite literally, I was amusing to watch. He whistled to Sage, who wheeled his horse around. Rowan had already pulled ours to a hault. Sage came up beside of us.

"What?" He asked Rowan. Instead of replying, Rowan grabbed my left arm and twisted it. I winced. Sage's eyebrows rose, and he also gripped my arm.

"What wrong?" I asked. Sage gave me an odd look.

"Does it usually do this?" He asked me.

"Do what?" I asked, irritated. Rowan twisted my arm back around, into my view. I snatched it out of his grip, my mouth dropping in surprise.

It was my mark. The usually pale bluey silver, was now practically shinning. A sudden painful spike went through my head, just as I touched it. I gasped out, as darkness rushed up to meet me, wrapping me in its warm embrace. The last thing I saw was the world tipping sideways as I undoubtedly fell off the horse.

When I awoke, my heart was pounding and my head throbbing. Forcing my eyes open, I saw the branches of a tree I was under. The snow was still falling thickly, but we were protected here. I was covered in a blanket, and my back was warm. I was half propped up. Something was rubbing up against my chest. Glancing down, I saw my fox, nosing my neck. It was only then I became aware of my arms, heating up in strips.

Looking behind me, I realised that I was leaning up against Rowan, who was running his fingers up and down my arms. He had his eyes closed and was resting up against the tree trunk. Sage got in my face, pulling down below my eyes. I shoved him off me.

"What are you doing!" I cried out.

"Checking for a concussion." Sage replied. At which point, Rowan sat up properly behind me.

"He didn't hit his head." Rowan told Sage. Sage sighed dramatically. "You alright?" Rowan asked me. I nodded. "Then **,** we had best be going." With that **,** Rowan stood up, at the same time as swinging me up in to his arms. Bridal style. Again. I wanted to struggle out of his arms and yell that I could walk. But decided against it. The horse kneeled for me.

It took me a few moments to realise that the snow was no longer hitting me. It parted around as we rode. I was certain it was Rowan's doing, but when I asked him about it, he shrugged. The cheek of it! I allowed myself the luxury of leaning back into Rowan and closing my eyes. Sleep came quickly.

I was woken abruptly when I was shaken. Turning around, I glared at Rowan.

"We're almost here, thought you'd like to know." He told me.

I was taken aback. "Thank you." I replied. A saw a muscle in his jaw twitch. I knew he thought that put me in his debt. He could think that all he liked, but I wasn't. "Thank you, very much." I repeated, just to annoy him. My fox climbed out from under my shirt and resettled himself in my lap. I smiled at his adorableness. Rowan shook his head.

I was glad Rowan had awoken me. I really wanted to get my first glimpse of the court. I wanted to know if it really was as beautifully dangerous as Anharlia described to me. She says that some of the floors are made of a polished ice, slippery but stunning. She says that the ballroom or throne room are most spectacular. She says that there are huge glinting icicles in the ballroom hanging from the ceiling in mesmerizing patterns. But in the throne room the icy ceiling has been carved and shaped.

The outside of the court is supposed carved and beautiful too. With winter plants in a constant state of bloom. And life size statues that are scarily realistic. I think its the sort of beautiful that scares the living daylights out of you. Like a pretty coloured frog that has poisonous skin that will kill you with a single touch.

I can't wait to get there.

The Wyldwood rushes past us as we ride. I think that the horses know we are close to their home and put on an extra burst of speed in an effort to get there sooner.

Of course I am worried. I mean, I've been kidnapped by two princes, who are taking me to see the queen. My other problem is that I am Winter's Heart, but I can't actually tell anyone. I am sure that lying to the queen would be ill advised, but it looks like I'll have to anyway.

I suppose I can pretend that I don't know if my parents are alive, I mean we never did find their bodies. In theory **,** they could be. If of course we didn't have the hearts. But I can pretend I don **'** t have it, which means that I say that might be alive. Oh this is tricky. I can't believe I'm going to lie to a queen. But I don't really have a choice.

I can feel Rowan staring down at me. I wonder if he can sense that I'm about to tell a huge lie. Or maybe he can read my thoughts. Just in case he is, I yell silently at him to get out of my mind. He keeps staring down at me. He probably can't read my thoughts.

"Rowan?" I ask,

"Yes?" He answers suspiciously,

"Can you read minds?" I'm feeling a little tentative,

"No." He says and I feel a great sense of relief. "But I can feel emotions." He continues. That worries me. Is lying an emotion. Will the queen be able to sense if I am lying? I think I'll ask, subtly.

"Can you tell if I'm lying?" My voice asks before I can stop it. So much for being subtle.

"Sort of." He replies.

"Um...sooo what do you mean?"

"Well, if you were to lie, then you'd feel anxious, I'd be able to sense that, you'd be shifty so might do something out of character or look left top of your eye. Or maybe itch your nose." Rowan explained.

"Oh, I see." I whispered. If I was going to lie, then what Rowan had just told me would come in great use.

"Why'd you want know anyway?" He inquired

"Oh... er.. just, curious." I stuttered. Great lying Tyne.

"Fey can't lie anyway. Remember?" He told me amusedly.

"Yeah, yeah I know," I lied. I had no idea about this. But if they thought I couldn't lie, then I would have the upper hand!

"I can feel you deviosity from here. What are you up to?" He queried.

"Oh y'know this and that." I replied. Not lying but not answering.

"An example please?" Rowan continued.

"Planning...a bed... for my fox." Not quite genius, but I was getting better. Rowan snorted, but dropped it.

The temperature started to drop, alerting me to the fact we were drawing close. The icicles got bigger and the trees were now covered in ice instead of frost. Everything was gleaming and in all honesty, I was terrified.

Eventually the trees started to thin out, creating pretty little glades. The trees thinned again and I saw the court for the first time in my life.

Its huge spires and turrets rose up high above the trees, the windows were large and looked like clear ice, even the people were terrifyingly beautiful. They wore dark colours of blue and red, their eyes glinted with mischief and the promise of pure agony if you ever dreamt about crossing them. Their dark hair was swept back out of their faces, revealing chiseled faces and pointy chins. Everyone had a look of aristocracy about them.

And I had never wanted to shrink away and hide more than I did right now.


	8. Chapter 8

- _Thankyou to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible, in this chapter we get a rare insight into Rowan's thoughts. But unfortunately it is smaller than usual!-_

I have never wanted to shrink away and hide more than I did now. Rowan, courageous jerk he is, rode the horse right in to the centre of the courtyard. And yes, you guessed it, it was coated in ice too. Sage followed up behind us. Rowan dismounted in a smooth motion. Then he turned around, pulled Otto from my grasp and gave him to Sage. Reaching out again, he grabbed me by my waist and pulled me, neatly off the horse.

Sage shoved my fox back into my arms. Clearly he didn't want to be seen with him. The two of them positioned themselves either side of me and strode off towards the entrance. I held back for a second, casting one last nervous look around, before I doceily followed.

I imagine we looked quite the sight. Two Princes proudly sweeping up the stairs toward the grand carved archway, looking like they owned the world, and me. Little me scurrying along behind them, clutching a feeble looking fox tightly to my chest. I kept me eyes firmly on Rowan's back, making sure there was no way any one could make eye contact with me, but still being able to see Rowan and Sage, so I didn't get lost.

We hadn't been walking been walking for very long, when someone suddenly stepped between Rowan and I. I tried to walk around them, but again they stepped into my path. Slowly I brought my eyes up, meeting theirs. Rowan and Sage were half way up the hall by now. I looked back at them.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" To me, it was a little movie styled. Like the classic bad guy line. Their gleaming eyes looked me up and down. Then rested on Otto. The man, who was obviously nobility, sneered at Otto. "Got yourself a little friend," he snickered.

"Ludwicke," came a voice filled with disdain. My head snapped to the source and to my relief, it was Rowan and Sage. They had noticed my absence and were stalking back down the hall.

"Your highnesses," he simpered. "I found this one wandering around. He looked lost." He continued.

"No I wasn't." I had forgotten to put my voice on its leash. It had been such a long time since it had gotten out of hand, I had forgotten that I needed one. Ludwicke, as they called him, spun on his heel and glared down at me.

"You were looking lost." He told me.

I hadn't quite managed to get my voice on its leash. "And so would you if you were in my position. But that is not what I meant. You jumped in front of me, blocking my path."

He scowled venomously at me. I swallowed.

"So its settled then." Sage announced. "You tried to misdirect our... present, for the queen." Sage sneered. I shivered, and shuffled as discreetly as possible towards Rowan. Rowan had no qualms of subtlety. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and swept me towards him. I stumbled into him. Unsure whether he had meant to do that or not. But he held me to him.

Comforted, I allowed myself to slump forward into him. He put his other arm around my waist, keeping me close. Sage and Ludwicke continued to, well I wouldn't go as far as to call it arguing but more of a quarrel. Rowan suddenly decided that we should leave. He dropped his arms from around me, instead placing a hand on the small of my back. Swiftly,he walked me down winding hallways.

Just as I was starting to wonder if we would ever stop, Sage appeared. He nodded at Rowan and came to stand on my other side. I put Otto carefully on the floor, my arm was going dead. Haulting outside of a grand doorway, they shared a look. Then they pushed open the doors and strode inside. Rowan kept his hand on my back until we were in the centre if the room. I tried to keep my eyes on the floor but everything was stunning.

The windows were made of a fine clear glass etched with hundreds of tiny patterns, the ceiling was full of carvings, all painstakingly detailed and as my eyes drifted down, I saw her. Her black ebony hair was pulled up on to the top back of her head, secured with ice droplets woven in, and on her head, proudly sat a crown of ice. She was the queen, of that I had no doubt and with a single look she froze my insides.

I stood as still as possible as she sized me up.

"What is this?" She eventually asked Rowan and Sage.

"Something special." Sage replied. Glancing at the nobility around the edge of the hall, his mother got the hint and rose from her perfect ice throne.

"Out!" She commanded "leave my sons and I alone." They all straightened and marched out, the doors clanging behind them. She turned to her children and raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, waiting for an explanation, as she sat back down. Sage turned to me, reaching out. I flinched away. I still didn't trust him.

Rowan grabbed my arm spinning me around and pulled off my jacket. Standing in my tank top, I felt the fear rise inside me. Rowan took hold of me again, turning me around. My left side now facing the queen, my back was to Rowan. With a sudden realisation of horror, I almost gasped. They were showing her my mark.

The queens eyes widened. She rose from her throne once again. She practically glided across the floor toward me...

 _-switch to Rowan's point of view-_

... I don't know what came over me. But as mother reached out to touch Tyne, I jerked him back into me. Tyne was surprised, but I think I was more so. My mother gave me a look. Then I wrapped an arm across his shoulders, holding him tightly to me as he put one of his small little hands on my arm.

"What, are you doing?" She demanded

"He's mine." I replied before I had time to think. For a split second she looked horrified. Then her walls came slamming up, sealing off the emotion to her face. Looking down, I was worried how he might take that. Luckily, he appeared not to have noticed. Instead he tucked his other arm tightly around himself. Before my mind could think it through, my other arm slipped over the top of his. Tyne breathed out relaxing in my arms.

His eyes were tightly closed as though he were trying to make himself believe he was somewhere else. He pressed his body further back into me, seeking for comfort.

"Yours?" My mother questioned, shooting me an unfathomable look.

"I believe so." It came out a shaky whisper. "Mine." I whispered burrying my face in his blonde hair and confirming her suspicions. That I, Rowan the middle child and prince of the winter court was indisputably in love with Tyne.

 _-switch back to Tyne's point of view-_

Otto was curled up on my feet keeping them warm. I had put him down, just before we entered the throne room, a fact he had not been happy about. My back was also toasty, Rowan still had his arms around me. I cuddled back into him as he buried his face in my hair.

A resounding crash startled me out of my thoughts. A huge icicle had fallen from the ceiling, because whilst they were carved they were also peppered with icicles. I had no doubt it had been the queen when once I saw her glaring daggers at me. I took a shaky breath and tried to shrink back into Rowan. To my delight, he flipped me around, so I was facing him and pulled me back into his arms. I clutched at his chest hiding my face in him. He smelt of mint, newly mown grass, lemon and leather. I snuggled closer.

"Rowan." The queen began "I want you to lock him in a set of rooms then come back here. Understood?" The queen commanded. She sounded as though she was trying not to scream and shout and rage about. I think she was saving it for once she had Rowan on his own. I felt Rowan nod, then he dropped his arms from around me and walked me out of the room. His hand was on the small of my back again.

We weaved down many corridors and up several flights of stairs before Rowan briefly paused outside a door. Then he shoved it open and pulled me in with him. It was a large room with a huge canopy bed in the middle of the wall across from the door. A large wardrobe and chest of draws decorated the other walls. A rug of dark blue lay in the middle of the room and a was set into the wall. Rowan nodded at it.

"Bathroom." He told me. He was leaning against the wall. I walked back over to him. Turning around and leaning against him. He let me. He wrapped his arms around me and I relaxed again. Then he suddenly moved. Next thing I know he was carrying me across the room. He laid me down in the bed.

"Get some rest, I'll come back for you later." Then he turned back around and walked off, closing the door. He locked it behind him. I shivered, all alone I felt scared and worried. I hoped Rowan would come back soon.


	9. Chapter 9

- _Thankyou to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible-_

Eventually after lying in the dark for what seemed like hours, I got myself up. My fox stayed sleeping at the foot of the bed. Atop a trunk. Clearly Rowan wasn't coming back any time soon. I wandered over to the door to the bathroom. It was very heavy and I struggled to open it. I had to put my entire body weight into it before it budged, slowly creaking open, spilling light into the bedroom. Luckily, in the bathroom was a glowing orb of light. I had no idea had to create light and the fey never used anything with iron in it, so electrical lights were a big no no.

The bathroom was huge. It had a bath set into the floor, about one meter down and three meters each way. The sink was a large bowl of ice and the taps were made from glass. It was cool as you could see the water rushing up them. There was a huge mirror above the sink. Then I saw a curious thing.

There appeared to be a small corridor leading off the bathroom, made from what looked like pebbles cemented together. However **,** when I reached its entrance, I saw it lead to a shower. A humongous shower. There was a towel rail to one side, also made of glass and a small step before you were in the shower, which was only a bit smaller than the bath.

I wanted a wash anyway. I hadn't had one since my dip in the freezing river and that couldn't really be called a wash. I striped off and hopped in, turning on the taps. The water beat out a tattoo on my back. It was lovely and warmed me to the core. After standing there for a while, I shut off the water and stepped back out, wrapping myself in a towel as I do so.

I walked back into the bathroom, but my clothes were not where I had left them. In fact they had vanished! In their place was a set of silk pyjamas. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wear them, but I had nothing else. I slipped them on.

Carefully, I wandered back into the bedroom, making sure I left the bathroom door wide open, to cast light into the room. I slide in to the bed. The covers and sheets were also made silk. I almost slid out of the bed a few times. But I worked out that if I lay on my side in the middle of the bed and didn't move, I wouldn't fall out.

There was a storm outside. I could hear it raging. The rain was lashing down and the thunder was roaring. The lightening was flashing down outside. I lay as still as possible to avoid falling out of bed. I was terrified but not of falling out of the bed. I would never tell anyone, but lightening, it petrified me. There weren't many things that truly terrified me. Even the wyvern hadn't been petrifying.

But lightening. It was unpredictable, it could kill, and couldn't be reasoned with. Of course,I'd never tell anyone. A fear of lightening sounds ridiculous to most people. But to my flawed logic, it was totally reasonable. I pulled the covers up higher. It flashed again and I flinched. I couldn't help it.

Suddenly, the door flew open. Rowan. He closed it behind him and created a glowing ball of light, throwing it up in to the air, illuminating the entire room. Striding over to the bed, he sat down next to me, leaning his back against the headboard.

"You okay?" He asked. I nodded, not trusting my voice. "Sorry I took so long. We were hav-" he cut himself off as I flinched again at the lightening.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I began to nodd, but it turned into another flinch as the lightening forked down again. Rowan narrowed his eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing," I answered nonchalantly.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'd prefer it if you didn't lie to me." I shrugged and put my head in his lap. He began to thread his fingers through my hair.

"You had a wash?" He asked. I nodded my head, wondering how he knew.

"Your hair is still damp." He informed me, as if he were reading my thoughts. The lightening flashed and I stiffened. Rowan narrowed his eyes again. Then it clicked.

"You're scared of lightening." He told me. I shrugged, as though it wasn't a big deal. He smirked. "That's cute." He sounded amused.

"Its not 'cute'!" I snapped

"It sort of is." He replied. "Where's your fox?" He asked trying to change the conversation.

"Foot of the bed." I answered nodding at the bottom of the bed. "And don't try to change the conversation!"

"Ahhh, you see right through me. It's adorable." I was sure Rowan was just winding me up now. Something he seemed very good at.

I glared at him. He ruffled my hair. Opening my mouth, I was about to go for a sassy comeback when the door was thrown open. Sage strode in.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Rowan drawled.

"Yes, I tried it once, I it found tiresome and cumbersome." He replied "I came in here for a reason." He informed us.

"Well I should hope so." Rowan continued.

"Rowan." Sage snapped "it's the mid of the night. Would you please hold your tongue?"

"Pray, do tell your reason for interrupting a captivating conversation." Rowan sneered.

"Tomorrow, mid morning, we shall have another meeting. Mother informed me to tell you, to bring him." Sage declared, gesturing down at me.

"Another meeting? Oh, how riveting." Rowan drawled. Sage snarled, then stalked out. I decided that they must have argued.

"What happened?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Rowan replied. He sounded tired.

"With you and Sage? You're practically at each others throat's." I explained.

"Ahh that."

I waited, but he didn't continue.

"Rowan?" I prompted,

"Hmmm?" he murmured, glancing down at me. Wow! He really must be tired.

"Nothing," I whispered, closing my eyes. Sleep stretched out in front of me, and I found myself falling in to it...

 _-Dawn arrives-_

I opened my bleary eyes as slowly as I could. The curtains hadn't been drawn last night, but now the sun had to creep it's tentacles around the edges of them to get in. The bathroom door was also closed, even though I left it open.

I suppose it could have been Rowan, but he had been too tired if you ask me. I heard the door go, and bolted up right. A pretty maid was carrying clean towels and fresh clothes. She put the clothes in the chest of draws and tiptoed in to the bathroom.

When she reappeared, she saw me. Her eyes widened slightly,

"I didn' mean to wake ya sir" she whispered in a strong accent, I smiled.

"It's fine. I'm a really light sleeper!" I informed her. She looked slightly taken aback. Then a light came on in her eyes.

"If ya don' mind me sayin', sir, I don' think ya should be with 'im" she told me. "He'll break your 'art"

"What do you mean? We're not... um... together, and... how... how do you know he'll break my heart? If... if we were." I was confused. Surely she didn't know Rowan that well?

"I may no' know 'im tha' well, bu' I do noo, I mean I've seen 'im with others, they never las' long, and they always end up cryin'." She told me. "Tha's wha' he does. Breaks people."

She kept missing the t's of the end of her words, I was struggling to understand her. But I think I got the gist of it.

"He breaks people?" I asked.

"I... I think, I think tha' he finds i' fun, like a game."

"Oh." I replied. "Well, we're not... together, so I'm fine, right?"

"Don' fall for an ice prince, laddy, i' never ends well."

Rowan stirred beneath me.

"Has he broken a lot then?" I asked

"Too many to coun'" she replied. "To be fair though, they're usually girls, tha' he breaks tha' is."

"Mary, what are you drivelling about now?" Rowan asked his voice tinged with sleep. He sat up behind me, his legs either side of me, and put his arms around me.

"Nothin' of importance sir, I was jus' apologising, for wakin' 'im up." She replied, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"Of course you were. On you way." He commanded

"Beggin' your pardon sir, I never mean' no 'arm" she then bowed stiffly and retreated out of the door.

I waited until she left, then turned to Rowan. "What was that all about?" He looked vaguely confused

"She was nice," I explained. Rowan snorted.

"It's not her place her to talk to you. She is supposed to do her job, quietly, then leave. Not stop for a chat." He explained, be sounded irritated. "What were you talking about anyway?"

I was a little upset, the first friend I was starting to make, and Rowan scared her off. I got up, throwing the duvet off me and clambering out of his arms.

"Just as she said, she was apologising for waking me up." With that I walked into the bathroom.

I hopped in the shower, sure that Rowan knew that wasn't all. But I wasn't about to get her into trouble.

I wrapped myself in a fluffy towel. I hadn't brought any clothes in with me, but on the chair, neatly folded were my original clothes. Clean. I scrambled into them, taking comfort in their familiarity. I quickly decided to go exploring. I got back in to the bedroom, Rowan had vanished and the door was locked. Not letting that deter me I walked to the window. My fox pounced off the trunk and came to wrap himself around my legs.

"Not today little one." I crooned "You stay here for now." I scooped him up and put him in the centre of the neatly made bed. Then I walked back to the windows. They were unlocked. Opening one of them up, I peered out of it. Several metres along the sill was a large tree. Even though we were several floors up, the tree still reached past the window and up another two floors.

I carefully climbed out of the window, closed it and shuffled along the sill. When I reached the tree I took hold of a large thick branch and pulled myself into the canopy. I didn't take me very long to climb down. I jumped the last metre or so landing crouched on the cobbled floor.

Straightening up, I looked around. Everyone around me was busy. I wandered down into the market place that was bustling and started to nose about. All the shops were selling interesting and weird stuff. Many of the stallholders were trying to sell you stuff for very odd prices. For example, one woman was selling a stall flull of flamingo beaks for eight beatle legs a pop.

A pretty stall vendor beckoned me over.

"A lucky charm for a lucky man?" She asked me, I ran my eyes over, a small golden and red dragon on a golden chain.

I pointed at it, "how much?" I asked, she smiled at me.

"One kiss." Then she leaned her head forward, pushing her cheek towards me. I gently kissed her. She smiled at me and passed me the charm. I looped it around my neck. Then walked on. I was peering in to a crystal ball on another stall, wondering if it was real, when someone tapped me on my shoulder. I whirled around. Rowan stood there with folded arms.

"Hi." I whispered. He raised an eyebrow, and grabbed my arm pulling me along.

"I have to ask. How did you get out?" He questioned after a few minutes.

I couldn't tell him that I climbed out of the window because then he would lock it. So instead I said "I picked the lock."

"You picked the lock?" He sounded incredulous.

"Yeah. I used a spike of ice." I answered.

"A spike of ice. Why don't I believe you?" He was on to me. I gave up the pretense.

"Okay I climbed out the window." I confessed

"You climbed out the window?" He sounded disbelieving

"Yes, then I walked along the sill and climbed down the tree." I explained.

"I don't believe that either." He told me,

"Why not?!" I exclaimed, he raised his eyebrows.

"I did!" I told him. He shook his head. I hit his arm. He smirked and draped an arm around my shoulders as we walked inside. Smiling, I leant in to him as we climbed the stairs.

When we reached the room, he unlocked it and strode straight up to the window. He threw it open and looked out towards the tree.

"There's no way you walked along that!" He exclaimed.

"Yes I did. Look." I told him shoving him out of the way. I climbed up on the window and slid along the sill up to the tree. When I reached it, I turned around triumphantly. He raised his eyebrows,

"Fair enough. Now get back here." He told me.

"Fine, fine I'm coming." I siddled back along the sill. When I reached the open the window,Rowan grabbed me by my waist and pulled me back in. I laughed. He put me back down on the bed. Sweeping over to the window, he pulled it closed and snapped his fingers. I heard the lock go. No more sneaking out for me.

Catching sight of my new charm, he flew back across the room.

"Where did you get this?" He demanded

"I brought it." I told him

"Who sold it?"

"Um... some girl." He waited. I continued "shoulder length white hair going into blue, violet eyes, pretty smile. Sold loads of other charms."

He swallowed "What did she want in return?"

I blushed "a kiss."

He gave a short sharp nod of his head. "I see."

"Only on the cheek." I gushed quickly, I felt like I had betrayed him, but I didn't know why. He nodded again then turned and walked to the door when he reached it his face was void of all emotion.

"Don't sneak out again. I'll send someone up to check on you later." With that, he spun on his heel and slammed the door. The resounding boom echoed around the room.

I resisted the urge to cry.


	10. Chapter 10

- _Thankyou to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible, also the quote mentioned by Rowan_ "It was the short men that caused all the trouble in the world." _was by Ian Fleming-_

As I sat there resisting the urge to cry, the door squeaked open. Standing there was the maid from earlier, Mary I think Rowan called her.

"Hey," I whispered miserably

"Wha's up laddy?" She asked,

"I think I just upset Rowan but I'm not sure how," I answered. "He seemed quite sad."

"Oh, I'm sure ya didn'. He's probably jus' realised he 'ad a meetin' or somthin'. I'm sure twas nothin' personal." She tried to comfort me.

"Well, I'm sure it is something personal, because he asked me a question, I answered it, then he got that look on his face an-" I started but before I could finish she butted in.

"Wha' loook?" Her accent was thick again.

"The look where he... he... just doesn't... he's just blank." I tried to explain.

"Oohh, nooo laddy, I don' think he looked tha' way because of you," she reassured me. "Anyway, he sen' me to get ya. Ya have to take par' in the politics argumen' thing goin' on." She nodded her head, beckoning me other.

As I walked past her, my fox at my heels, I whispered "I really think I did upset him."

She sighed and shook her head, but gestured for me to follow her.

Walking along winding corridors, we eventually reached a large majestic door. It looked very old. Mary carefully pushed it open a crack, noise poured out. I suppose the door must have been soundproofed. There was a large icy table set in the centre of the room. Everyone was on opposite sides of it, and they all looked like nobility. The were debating something, but I didn't know what. At the far end of the table, set up on a sort of stage, were four ice thrones, decorated in pure silver.

Upon them sat, Queen Mab, Sage and Rowan. Ash wasn't there. Rowan looked irritated at the arguing, for that is what it was. Sage looked tired and the queen, as always, looked impassive, as though she didn't care either way what her subjects were doing. But I knew better. She could look calm, but inside she could be raging and planning your demise.

Firmly I kept my eyes fixed on the table. I didn't want to look at the Queen as she freaked me out so instead I tried to focus on the argument, but I couldn't make sense of what they were saying. They were all shrieking over the top of each other, no one was listening to each other. I hate it when people yell.

I was broken out of my thoughts when Mary jabbed me hard in the ribs with her elbow.

"Ouch!" I cried out "what was that for?" She sighed and shook her head, but said nothing. She awkwardly bowed to the queen, backed up a little then walked away.

The queen cleared her throat, I only just heard it over the noise of the argument, I whipped back around, looking up at her. Her beautiful face set in a frown for a second, then she froze herself off again. Rowan gave me a look.

"What?" I asked, cocking my head to one side. Sage allowed himself to smirk. The queen rose from her throne, immediately everyone around her fell silent. She gestured down at me.

"This is Winter's Heart." She announced. An uproar of voices broke out. She looked down at me. "Shown them your mark." She commanded.

Anharlia had taught me to never show anyone my mark unless I was forced to. She said it was very dangerous thing to do, even if I knew and trusted the people who I was showing. I didn't know or trust any of these people, excluding Rowan, so there was no way I was showing them my mark.

I shook my head. Her look was one of surprise. She snarled at me. "Do as I say. I am the Queen, I am your ruler."

But she wasn't. "You're not _my_ Queen." I realised everyone around me was in total silence. You could have heard a pin drop on to a cushion it was so quiet. Their faces were a perfect picture of surprise. Rowan was shaking his head at me.

The Queen's face was blank. "I'm not your Queen?!" She asked me calmly, too calmly.

"Well, you're not, are you?" I told her.

"Who here, would like to teach this child a lesson?" She sneered. Several guards began to advance. Rowan leapt off his throne, towards me.

"I beg your pardon mother, but the child barely knows anything." He told her. She waved a hand, Rowan had moved to stand between me and the guards.

"Rowan, move out of the way." The queen commanded.

"You know I can't mother." He warned her.

She growled at him. "Get out of their way."

Rowan grabbed my arm, pushing me along in front of him.

"Rowan, Rowan get back here!" The Queen ordered. Rowan kept walking, throwing open the door and letting it slam behind him. He kept pushing me until after a few minutes, I had had enough. Spinning around, I went to say something, but before I could, he whispered,"Not here. Not now."

I sighed but let him keep nudging me forward. When we got to my room, he closed the door locked it and then checked the bathroom. Walking back out, he offered me a small smile. I smiled back.

Then he sighed. "What the hell were you thinking!?" He cried.

I opened my mouth, but he held up a hand, "No, no don't tell me. Just know this, those guards would have beaten you to a pulp. If the Queen tells you to do something, you do it!"

I shook my head. "I can't just go around showing it off. Anharlia told me that was dangerous and that I have to be sure I trusted someone before I showed them."

He narrowed his eyes. "What?" He started. "You let Sage and I see the moment we met you!" He countered,

"Yeah, but that was different. It was an accident." I muttered.

He shook his head again, lying down on the bed. I lay down next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into him. I snuggled up closer. He was always so much warmer than me. The door opened, even though Rowan had locked it, I shot upright. To my delight it was Mary!

"Hiya Mary!" I called out happily

"Well, well, well loook a' wha' we 'ave here! I though' you'd be much longer laddy?" She hadn't noticed Rowan, or she probably would have ignored me. "Ge' bored of ya did they?" She asked

I laughed "something like that." Rowan went to sit up. I purposely sat back into him, propping myself up on my shoulders pushing him down. He wasn't about to scare her off again.

"No surprise really, loook at ya, skinny as a stick, and shor'er than a gremlin, aren' ya?"

"It was that short men that caused all the problems in the world." Rowan announced from behind me, I got the impression he was quoting someone.

Mary stiffened "beggin' your pardon sir, I didn' realise you was 'ere"

"Maybe not, but that doesn't give you an excuse to stop and chat, get on." He ordered. Sometimes I really hated Rowan. After the door swung shut behind her, I puched Rowan in the stomach, and immediately regretted it. He tensed at the moment of impact. I'm sure my fingers were bruised.

"You jerk!" I cried out.

"What?" He asked, seemingly confused.

"You utter, utter prick!" I yelled, nursing my hand.

"What, for tensing when you punched me? That's just a reflex!" He sounded indignant

I slapped the side of his face "NO! Not for that, for scaring her off again!" I continued, bringing my voice down, to raised but not a shout, I really hated shouting, although sometimes I just couldn't help it.

"Scaring her off? She's a bloody maid," he exclaimed.

"She's the only friend around her that I've got!" I explained

"What about me?" Rowan asked

"Yeah but... you're... You're different." I continued.

"Different? How?" He demanded.

"I don't know... you just are. Stop trying to change the subject."

"Why?" He asked

"Because, because... I'm not finished."

"Seems like you are to me."

"Well I'm not. She is the only one who actually explains what's going on around me. The rest if you seem intent on ignoring my questions." I was going to continue, but before I could, he butted in!

"What, has she told you?... exactly?" He insisted.

"No. I'm not telling you anything." I snapped then I tried to get to my feet, but before I could, he seized hold of my shoulders and yanked my back down on top of him.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to tell you more in the future, but what did she tell you?" He interrogated me

"Let go!" I struggled in his firm grasp, he scowled, I huffed "oh, just all your inner workings and secret plans and anything else that's confidential." I growled.

He sighed. "I'm serious."

"I don't care." I was getting frustrated now. I still couldn't free myself from his clasp. "Let me go!" I cried out again. He released me. I rocketed upright and stalked off into the bathroom, slamming the door as hard as I could behind me. Although it was old and heavy, it still made a delightfully loud crashing noise. I slumped up against the door, dropping my head down into my hands.

I had no idea how Rowan could get me worked up so easily. I tipped my head back against the door. I wanted to go back in and lie down with him. I wanted to curl into him and have him hold me all night long. But I couldn't. He would probably leave halfway through to go to some meeting. Besides I was angry with him.

 _-switch to Rowan's point of view-_

I sat up properly and watched him slam the door behind him. Obviously he was angry with me. I wondered how he would take it if I were to knock ceaselessly against the door until he opened it.

I wanted to scream and yell out my love for him, to tell him that he was the only thing that mattered to me now. But the door stayed closed and I stayed quiet. I pondered upon the idea of leaving, but that seemed too cowardly.

I think if perhaps I were to leave a note the- no. That was to cowardly too. I sighed, getting to my feet, but with nothing to do, I quickly lay back down again.

My love for him was effervescent. It was infinite. Every time I thought I came to its boundaries, they moved back. It was always expanding.

I loved everything about him. I loved how passionate he could get, and how he never hid his emotions. I was so exhausted of everyone around me hiding behind their walls, never letting any emotion, other than contempt show. It was refreshing, and honest and pure and I loved it. I loved how small he was. Easy to pick up and cuddle, his hair was soft and his eyes liquid gold.

I've only ever been in love a handful of times, I can count them on one hand, even though I am hundreds of centuries old. But Tyne's different to them. They were mysterious and drew me in. I fell in love with their mystery, in a world where everything else bored me. Where I knew all that there was to know, they offered something new and exciting.

Tyne is different. I have fallen for his honesty. He teaches me new things with everyday I spend with him and challenges and inspires my views.

He is more than I could ever have wished for. Ever even thought of wishing for. He is a hope in world of dark, he is a light shining so bright, from the very core and he brings freedom and new perceptions. He leaves a trail of people befuddled by his honesty, wondering if maybe he was just tricking them. For surely no one can be that authentic, can they? But he can.

Even my mother knows the extent of my love, and although she disapproves, she hasn't outright denied it.

I have grown weary of hiding behind my walls, and Tyne has shown me that I don't have to.

I love him. It is as simple as that.

 _-switch back to Tyne's point of view-_

Eventually I grow bored of sitting up against a hard door. I also want to know if Rowan stayed. Curiosity gets the better of me. Anharlia used to tell me that curiosity killed the cat, when I was very little I used to believe her, I'd sit there and cry and mourn the loss of a cat that never existed. But later on I'd smirk and reply

"Good thing I'm not a cat then!"

I poke my head around the door, he's lying in the middle of the bed. I tiptoe over, thinking he might be asleep, but when I reach him, I see him staring up at the canopy. I crawl on top of him, resting my head on his chest, his arms come up around me. holding me tight, holding me close. I like it, this position makes me feel safe and loved-

I stop my thoughts. Loved? By Rowan? Am I mad?! But yes I think I am, as the biggest scariest realisation -since the wyvern incident- hits me.

I think I might be falling in love with Rowan…


	11. Chapter 11

- _Thankyou to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible!-_

I think I might be falling in love with Rowan...

I was tempted to run to the bathroom, but if I did then he would know that something was up. I couldn't tell him. Mary had told me as such, if I were to tell him, then he would break me. I had to pretend to be indifferent to him. Well maybe not indifferent, I mean, we were friends.

Luckily for me, the door opened and Mary tiptoed in. She had forgotten the towels in the bathroom. I carefully climbed off Rowan, grabbed her arm and pulled her into the bathroom. She looked confused,

"Wha' are ya doooing?" She asked her eyes wide,

"Y'know how you told me he would break my heart if I fell in love with him?"

She nodded,

"Well, are you still sure?" I asked tentatively,

She gasped her hand covering her face "Ya didn'? Did ya?"

I nodded my head "what do I do?" I hissed.

"I don' know!" She whispered shaking her head. "I mean I don' really know 'im, I've seen 'im with the young lasses, bu' he never keeps 'em longer than a week. How long has he kept ya for?"

"Urm…" Quickly, I added up the days, "Well I've been here for 2 days and we were in the woods for three days, so that's five so far and I guess in the morning I'll be starting my 6th day."

Mary nodded. "Ya have already ou' lasted mos' of them, bu' he 'ad this one, she lasted a week an' two days. If you las' another 4 days than ya'll be equal. Do ya think ya manage tha'?" She asked me

"I don't know." I replied honestly.

"Well ya'll jus' 'ave to try an' be interesting."

"Interesting?" I asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, well if he doesn' know much abou' ya, surely he'll keep ya longer to try to find ooout?" She reasoned.

"Yes but thats not interesting, its annoying." I told her.

"Weeell, 'ow abou' ya give little snippets of information, but keep 'im guessing abou' the res'. Yeah?" Mary suggested. It sounded like a good idea. I nodded my head. "Now off ya pop. Ya need to ge' back in bed with 'im before he notices ya missing." With that she bustled back out.

I followed her but instead of walking out the door, I made my way back to the bed. Climbing back on top of Rowan, I rested my head on his chest.

"What was that about?" A voice whispered in my ear. I jumped slightly, looking up. Rowan was awake. Remembering Mary's advice I said,

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Rowan snorted. "Yes." He replied "that's why I asked." He pulled me up higher, talking into my shoulder.

"I was trying to be mysterious." I admitted. It seemed the best way to get out of this.

He nuzzled my neck. "Nice job." He replied sarcastically, his voice muffled as he spoke into my neck. I shivered slightly. He flipped me over suddenly. Looking down into his eyes I saw the amusement.

"Its not funny." I said lamely.

"Never said it was." He replied.

I sighed cuddling down into him. He tightened his arms around my body, drawing me closer to him. My eyes were heavy and I felt so safe, there in his arms. I allowed the dark abyss of sleep to wrench my over the edge into its spiralling, inky blackness.

- _morning arrives_ -

When I awoke I was on my side. Rowan had gone, left me. The bed around me was cold, informing me that he had been gone awhile. Stretching I got to my feet. Time to wash.

 _... a few minutes later..._

Wandering around my room, I tried the windows and the door. Neither would budge an inch. Something outside of the window caught my eye. A hunched shape, that looked like a cat. It shivered and looked up at me with huge baleful eyes.

"I'd let you in, but the windows are locked." I told the poor miserable little thing.

"Just say that you give me permission to enter and I can handle the rest." It whimpered, I have no idea how it managed to talk. Although I have hear that some cats can do this. I think they are called cait sithes. Basically, they're normal cats that can talk and are intelligent.

"Alright." I smiled it looked at me hopefully. "I give you permission to enter." I told it.

"You have to state your name." It whispered.

"I, Tyne, give you permission to enter."

Somehow its mouth stretched in to a huge smile, like the Cheshire cat in the Mad Hatter. It **'** s smile was grisly, as it threw itself against the window **,** shattering it into tiny pieces.

Shattering into tiny pieces, I stumbled back, throwing up my arms to protect my face. When I eventually lowered them, they were covered in scratches. I blinked at it **,** dumbfounded.

"I can't keep you know. They won't let me!" I exclaimed, looking at the window in horror.

"You don't need to." It growled at me, growing bigger before my eyes, until a huge monster of a cat was standing in front of me. My mouth dropped open. It snarled. I gulped.

"Don't run away. Then I would have to chase you," It purred. out the words. I suddenly felt a strong urge and reluctance to not move. My mind screamed "Are you crazy?! Run youidiot!" I shook my head, turning around and sprinting for the bathroom. The door was open.

I threw myself in, slamming the door behind me and yanking the bolt across. I was just in time, for a second later, the door quivered as large force rammed into it. I scrambled back, looking for a place to hide.

My eyes fell on the wall that separated the shower from the rest of the room. The bathroom had high ceilings and the wall didn't quite reach the top. There was a tiny gap between them, big enough for me? I think so. I started to climb up the pebble wall, making it to the top as a voice floated out from behind the door.

"Come out, come out my littlest one." it crooned, it was laced with sedation and I instantly felt sleepy. It's voice came again, and my eyelids dropped. The last thing I heard was its voice before my eyes closed fully and I lost consciousness.

 _-switch to Rowan's point of view-_

I left Tyne after he fell asleep. I decided it was inappropriate for me, a person in love with him, to sleep with him. Instead I went back to my own room, which was only across the hallway and went to sleep in there. In the morning I then had a meeting. It was almost time for lunch by the time I was free to check in on him. I wasn't really worried as Mary probably would have already done so.

Horror struck up in my heart though the moment I came along that corridor. There was a shape slumped in the hallway. I ran up to it. Mary was snoring softly a platter a few feet away from her, its contents all over the floor. I kicked her awake. She saw me, and her eyes widened.

"Why are you on the floor?" I demanded.

"I', I' told me to sleep and I jus'... did" she stuttered out, clearly confused. I shook my head at her. Shoving open Tyne's door, a large cat was sitting outside the bathroom door. My eyes widened.

I knew what this was. It was a shape changing beast. One moment a sweet little kitten, the next a huge monster, ready to bite off your head. I scanned the room, the furthest left window lay in shards on the floor.

Mary appeared at my shoulder, andopened her mouth, I slapped a hand over it. She wasn't about to give us away. If the cat told you to do something then you would do it. Immediately.

Unsheathing my sword, I stalked up behind it, running it through the neck.

It collapsed to the ground, dead.

"Search this room," I commanded Mary, in case Tyne had tricked it and was hiding in there. Meanwhile I strode up to the door of the bathroom. I shoved against it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Tyne?" I called out "Tyne, let me in!" There was no reply. "Fine then, I'm breaking it down." I waited a few seconds "Tyne let me in!" I called out once more. When that failed, I drew my sword, it glowed blue for a second before I brought it down, in between the door and the wall. Breaking the bolt.

I kicked open the door. "Tyne?!" I called out again. Nothing. His fox whipped between my legs and started mewling at the wall, pawing at it. I ducked around the wall. There was nothing.

"He's not here." I told the fox. The fox leapt at me, climbing up to sit on my head, it took a wild leap at the wall. Glancing up **,** I caught sight of something hiding on top between the gap of the wall and ceiling. It was Tyne. Relief flooded through me.

"Get down." I told him but he didn't move. His fox, who I had caught when it missed and fell, started to yowl.

"Mary! Get in here." I snapped. She appeared by my side and followed my gaze.

"Oh, 'es alrigh'!" She cried out happily.

"Maybe **,** " I told her. She cocked her head at me. "Go and get my brother. And some gaurds **.** Tell them I'm ordering them." She nodded her head, vanishing off a few seconds later.

I stood still, keeping my sword drawn and my eyes fixed on Tyne. The fox climbed out of my arms and sat on my shoulder, howling all the while.

"Good grief! What is that racket?" I heard someone exclaim, I had no doubt it was my brother, Sage.

He eventually entered the bathroom. "Won't you shut it up Rowan?" He snapped.

"No." I replied nonchalantly.

"What's up with the dead shape shifter outside the door? Redecorating?" Sage sneered.

"Nope. He let it in." I replied, my eyes were still fixated on Tyne.

"Who?" Sage asked.

"Who do think?" It was glaringly obvious to me.

"Tyne?" Sage asked

"Who else do you know that could accidentally let in a shape shifter?"

Finally, Sage followed my line of sight.

"How on earth did he manage to get up there?" He exclaimed.

"Ask him when he gets down. And wakes up." I replied.

"Oi!" Sage hollered at him. "Wake up!"

"You don't think I haven't tried that?" I asked, astonished by his stupidity.

"What should we do?" Sage asked.

"I'm not sure." I replied wracking my brains. "I want to know how he got up there in the first place."

"Ask him once we have him down. And awake."

I nodded. His fox started howling even louder than before, but neither of us mentioned it, and the guards didn't dare suggest that it should stop.

Sage and I started to come up with ways to try to get him down.

 _-switch back to Tyne's point of view-_

I knew that I wasn't sleeping naturally. It was weird being active in the mind and being able to think properly but not be able to move. I suppose that its sort of like being in a coma. The darkness swirled and spiralled around me, making me feel dizzy. I wondered how long I had been here for. A yowl cut through my thoughts.

It sounded like my fox, but I couldn't be certain. Suddenly my thoughts went back to the evil cat that wasn't a cat, horror clawed at my insides, what if my fox was being torn apart by it. In my horror, I didn't notice I was falling until I was. I somehow managed to twist my body and land in a crouch. My fox was suddenly in my face, licking me. I smiled, scooping him into my lap as I folded my legs under me.

Before I could settle down, I was pulled to my feet.

"How did you get there?" Someone asked at the same time as someone else asked

"Are you alright?" I looked up and saw Sage and Rowan standing there next to me, Rowan was trying to check me over.

"I'm fine." I assured him. He scowled but stopped fussing.

"How did you get up there?" Sage repeated his question.

"I climbed," I stated. Surely it was obvious?

"You climbed?" He sounded incredulous

"Yes," I told him.

"How?" He exclaimed. I sighed,

"Would you like me to show you?" I inquired.

"Yes," He replied.

I passed my fox to Rowan. Then scaled up the wall. It wasn't difficult, I dropped back to the floor, pulling my fox from Rowan's grasp as I did so. Sage was staring at me. I shoved past him into the bedroom. Rowan shadowed me, like a nervous dog.

"You killed it?" Not very intelligent thing to say really but, well, what else could I say. It was lying there spread on the floor, looking surprised. Rowan took me by shoulders and steered my past it. I think that if he hadn't done that I would have stayed there for hours, staring at it, without really seeing.

As it was Rowan sat my down on the bed between his legs with head resting on his shoulder and my little Otto curled up in my lap. The guards took away the creature and fixed the window. I stayed where I was, snoozing in Rowan's lap, as he gently thread his fingers through my hair. I sighed contented. And let my eyes close again.


	12. Chapter 12

- _Thankyou to my lovely beta, without her this wouldn't be possible! Sorry to those of you who read the chapters before I went back and edited them but I changed Tyne's appearance as I decided it didn't suit him. He now has violet eyes, and blonde hair but is still short and pale. Its just, I thought that as he is meant to be very pale, red hair wouldn't really work. My apologies-_

I was abruptly awoken by furious yelling. Rowan was still behind me but he was tense, and his arms were so tight around me, I could hardly breathe. The other person was replying in a deadly calm voice.

"Let go of him Rowan."

Rowan kept screaming bloody murder. I shifted in his arms, getting myself some breathing room as I looked up at him. He stopped shouting in order to offer me a smile, I returned one of my own, before looking around to see who he had been yelling at. My eyes fell on the queen, she was in the doorway, around her were guards, all holding large rounded sticks,about the length of my forearm.

"Oh good, he's awake. Why don't we let him make the choice?" The Queen purred.

"No!" Rowan cried, the Queen turned to me anyway.

"Am I your queen?" She demanded to know, but before I could answer Rowan spoke up.

"Yes." He replied. The Queen carefully watched me,

"Go on," she coaxed. Suddenly I felt a wave come over me, like I could tell her anything. I wanted to confide in her. Tell her she wasn't technically my queen, but that I wanted her to be. I recognised it from the evil cat that wasn't a cat, incident. So I did the exact opposite.

"Of course you are." I told her, copying Rowan's answer, her mouth turned.

"Tell me the truth!" She snapped. I felt the sensation come over me again. She was trying to magic my into answering her properly! But instead of wanting to tell the truth, I felt sleepy. She snapped something at me again, my eye lids fluttered and I passed into unconsciousness.

 _-switch to Rowan's point of view-_

Something was wrong. Tyne was getting limp in my arms.

"Tyne?" I called out, my anxiety tinging my voice.

I shook him slightly but he didn't respond.

"What did you do?!" I cried out at my mother.

"Me!? I just tried to glamour the truth out of him." She replied.

"Then how come he's suddenly unconscious?" I demanded,

Mother swept to my side, pulling Tyne free of my arms. I felt helpless, if mother had done something then there was no way I could reverse it. She felt his forehead as he lay stock still on his back.

"He's just unconscious, I can't find anything else wrong with him." She told me a cruel smile came over her face. "How about," she started, I wrung my hands nervously. "We bludgeon him awake?" She inquired.

"No. No, definitely not!" I swept Tyne back into my arms, rocking him slightly. "Where is his fox?" I demanded. "It's howling awoke him last time he fell unconscious." My mother looked confused, I had forgotten to tell her about the shape shifter that attacked.

I sighed, I supposed I had better. "A shape shifter attacked him, we found it on one side of the bathroom door, he was unconscious inside. No wounds." I clarified. "The fox's howling awoke him."

"Why wasn't I notified of this?" Mother demanded as the guards searched the room for the fox. It had run off the second mother had walked in the room.

"Because its not really of consequence." I replied.

"A shape shifter broke in, undetected, of course its of consequence!" She yelled

"I don't think it broke in." I began. "The window was shattered. But they have a charm on them. If they're locked -which they were- then someone would have to give it permission to enter." I continued, "he looks after that fox he found, because it was injured and looked in bad shape. That's easy enough for a shape shifter to replicate. Then Tyne gives it permission, it breaks through the window." I explained my theory.

"He's a liability." She snorted at Tyne.

"I know." I whispered.

My mother sneered at me, "yet you still love him."

"Yes." I replied my voice tight. Tyne whimpered in my arms and I realised I had been squashing him. "Sorry." I whispered to him.

A squeal from the other side of the room broke off our conversation. A guard stood there holding Otto by the scuff of his neck, as he wriggled about.

"Put it next to Tyne." I commanded the guard. The guard seemed only to happy to oblige. The fox whimpered and curled up on next Tyne's body. He didn't stir. "Well, go on." I told it. "Howl, whine, do something!" It looked blankly at me. I sighed. "Take it away." I told a guard. The second the guard picked it up again, it started to howl. I smirked. "Hold it there." I demanded. The guard didn't look happy about this.

A few seconds later and Tyne started to stir.

 _-switch back to Tyne's point of view-_

I could hear my fox howling, so I fought off sleep, clawing my way back to consciousness. I tried to move my arms and legs, but they felt like lead. Eventually I managed to pull open my eyes. It was hard work fighting off the spells reaction on me.

Blinking away the sleepiness from my eyes, I saw my fox hanging by the scruff of his neck, from a guard's hand. Rowan helped pull me upright. I reached out for my fox instantly and from the corner of my eye, I saw Rowan give the guard a subtle nod. The guard practically threw down my fox. Otto scrambled into my lap like mad. I gently petted him. Rowan held me tight against him.

"Tell me the truth." The queen commanded, without glamour this time.

Rowan shot me a look of warning. "You are my queen." I told her.

She sighed, "Then you shall have no problem swearing a loyalty to me. Tomorrow mid-evening." With that she swept out of the room.

I waited until the door closed behind her and the guards left before I turned to Rowan.

"What does she mean, swear a loyalty?" I asked him,

Rowan sighed, and cuddled me closer, "Everyone in the Winter Court swears an oath of loyalty to the Queen on their eighteenth birthday. You are nineteen and still haven't sworn an oath to her. It was only matter of time really."

I scowled. He hadn't answered me question.

"Yes." I started, "but what is it?"

"Okay, basically you swear that you are loyal to the Winter Court and her, and that you won't have a relationship with a summer and that you will not willingly part with confidential information, concerning the winter court, to a summer." He replied.

"Oh. There goes my freedom." Was my response.

Rowan chuckled softly, nuzzling my neck. I huffed, "not funny." I told him. He simply shook his head, laying back on the bed and drew my down on top of him. I lay curled up on him as he drew smooth circles on my back. Otto was curled up into my stomach.

"We need to go back to court." Rowan eventually murmured into my ear. I sighed, but rolled off him. Rowan scooped up Otto, who was still snoozing, and places him on the pillow. I think that Otto might be growing on Rowan. Rowan wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leading down the corridors. I recognised a few from previous trips.

You would think that by now I would know my around these halls, but I didn't. I swept my blonde hair out if my pale face. It was getting long and I could really do with having it cut.

We reached the familiar old grand doorway that marked the entrance into the court room. As per usual, the second it swung open, noise poured out. I never understood why the Queen just let them scream at each other like little kids. Something to grill Rowan on later, I guess.

He guided me along with him as we reached the platform. He sat on his throne and I sat by his feet. This is going to sound strange but the floor, even though its made of ice, is really comfortable. I leant up against the icy throne and Rowan dropped a hand down to rest on my shoulder. It was comforting.

I let my eyes travel around the room, trying to suss everyone out. It was difficult. They were all screaming and yelling at each other as their faces turned red but not betraying any other emotion except anger. So I made it up. To be fair to myself it was very boring just sitting still and listening to them argue. Making up strange backstories was certainly a good way to pass the time.

I started on the one sitting closet to the Queen on the right side of the table. She had white blonde hair in a short bob and piercing green eyes. Her backstory went something like this: age 3451, two children both grown up. Her husband, dead in a war. Once she had long hair, but then she tangled it in her sword and loped most of it off. After surveying the damage she decided to neaten it up by turning it in to a bob.

She seemed very angry, so I gave her a reason, the girl she was yelling at slightly further down the table had drawn on her face whilst she was sleeping and it hadn't come off for a week. It seemed legit, so I moved on. The guy sitting across from her. He was a bit portly, had brown eyes and matching hair. It was cropped very short. He had a huge moustache, neatly combed.

Now it was his turn for one of my back stories. He was 5673 and had no children or a wife. He had cropped hair because he thought it made it him look dashing and a female had once told him so. He was trying to yell at the female I just gave a backstory but she was ignoring him.

Glancing around the room for inspiration I found a reason for his anger. She had recently taken his favourite moustache comb and frozen it in a block of ice. It had never been the same since! I imagined what he might be saying, as it was impossible to make out any words over their roar.

I think he saying something like this:

"How dare you?! That comb was my great great great great great grandfather's, and then it was passed down. It served our family loyally! I shall have to have a funeral for it now. Do you know how expensive a funeral for a comb will be?...no? Well bad luck, you're paying!" The fake conversation I gave him, brought a smile to my face.

Rowan leaned down and hissed, "What's so amusing?"

I smirked at him, "See that guy yelling at that girl?" I whispered pointing them out

"Yes." He sounded suspicious.

"Well she froze his favourite comb and now he has to have a funeral for it." The woman turned and started to yell at the man. "He wants her to pay for its funeral, but she refuses as she thinks that it is ridiculous to have a funeral for a comb." I told him.

He looked very confused. "Y'know that they're not actually saying that right?" He asked.

"Well I hope they're not." I replied. He shook his head at me exasperated. I went back to giving people strange back stories. I was about half way through the fourth persons when the Queen stood. Instantly there was silence.

"Now for the matter closest to hand." She began. People were starting to notice me. I swallowed down a lump that had suddenly appeared in my throat. "I bel-" she didn't get to finish her sentence as the doors flew open and some guards came rushing through babbling incomprehensibly. She held up a hand and they stopped.

"You there," she pointed at one of them. "What is going on for you to be so un-" he cut her off

"Begging your pardon your majesty, but we can't stop her!" He cried out.

"Can't stop who?" She demanded.

"We throw ice at her and it melts, we try to grab her but when we get within a meter, we burn, we try to stab her but our weapons rebound. We can't seem to stop her." He began to babble again. The Queen held up her hand,

"Yes, but who?" She commanded, just as the knight went to open his mouth, the doors flew open again.

A woman strode in her hair flying back out of her face, she radiated power and there was a yellow glow around her. She stalked down one side of the table and looked the queen dead in the eye.

"You have something I want back." She snarled.

Her eyes piercing the Queen, her voice steady, and her name...

Anharlia


	13. Chapter 13

_-As always, a huge thankyou to my beta as without her this wouldn't be possible! Also please remember that reviews and constructive criticism are forever welcome!-_

As Anharlia stared down the Queen, I was both shocked and impressed by her bravery. I had never really seen her use her powers before. The Queen kept her gaze level, not even blinking. Rowan tugged on my arm, and I realised I had jumped to my feet when she barged in. I sat back down by Rowan's feet.

"I suppose," the Queen began, her crystal clear voice ringing out. "You mean, him?" She gestured at me. Everyone's eyes drilled into me, assessing me and trying to decide why I was so important. I nervously moved closer to Rowan, he placed a hand on my shoulder. Their sharp eyes followed the move.

"Naturally," She replied.

The Queen smiled a cruel unforgiving smile. "I'm afraid that he is a member of the Winter Court now. You may not have him back."

A look of alarm crossed Anharlia's face, "Tyne," She began keeping her voice even. "Tell me you didn't swear your loyalty to this foul woman?" Her voice brimming with malice.

"I haven't." I half whispered, too scared to do anything more.

Anharlia smirked at the Queen. "Then he is not yet a member of your Court. He owes no loyalty to you. _Your majesty_ , _"_ she snarled making her last words drip with sarcasm.

The Queen sneered. "Rowan, take him to his chambers." She turned to Anharlia, "And why, dear little girl, could you possibly think you had any sort of claim on him?"

Rowan grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet. He began to march me from the room. Anharlia leapt forward, snatching hold of me. Rowan growled a quiet, but still terrifying noise.

"It was my parents and his parents' wishes that I protect him from the likes of you," She told the Queen. "Is that not reason enough? And do not dare to assume that you can call me 'little girl'." Anharlia snapped.

Rowan suddenly took hold of her wrist and twisted it at an odd angle. Anharlia winced as it made a snapping noise. Rowan's hand was burnt red.

Anharlia's wrist glowed yellow. Fading away quickly, the colour suddenly blazed. Once it had died down, she shook out her wrist, I supposed she had healed it.

Glaring at Rowan, she snarled "How dare you?!" Rowan looked at her evenly, but made no attempt to talk. She flicked her fingers and the air around us rippled. Rowan cried out, throwing up his arms. Anharlia pulled me away. The area around Rowan glowed ethereal yellow. I heard him cry out again, but the golden fog smothered him, and he was hidden from my view.

Anharlia tried to drag me away. I fought her.

"Stop it!" I screamed at her. "Stop hurting him!" Anharlia shot me a odd look but kept walking. I flailed in her arms, shaking her off me. I ran into the yellow, hearing Anharlia scream at me not to, that she couldn't stop it.

The second I touched it, the golden yellow fog seared into my skin. It was the kind of hot, that is so hot it feels cold. It was quite easy to find Rowan, I just headed for the centre. The heat intensified as I drew near. I could barley see a foot in front of my, but when I managed to grab hold of him, I could just about make out his face.

He clutched me to him, as if he was trying to shield me from it. It sort of worked. My anger at Anharlia rose up in me, my vision went slightly blue, which is weird. Everyone always says your vision goes red when you get angry, but for me everything was tinged blue.

My fury continued to rage inside me as it rose, until eventually I couldn't hold it in anymore. I cried out as it tore free of me, then everything went black.

 _-Rowan's point of view-_

I have no idea what happened. One moment he was in my arms, clinging to me as the world around us burnt, the next he was freezing cold. I struggled to keep a hold of him. The air around us stopped burning, it cleared almost instantly. Sliver, blue light burst around the room, blinding me.

Tyne went limp in my arms. I swept him him, carrying him like a baby. Carefully I placed him on the table. He was completely unconscious and his skin was still freezing to touch. Looking around, I saw that everything had a layer of frost over it. Even the people. Even me!

His violet eyes were closed and bits of ice and frost were lodged in his hair. White stuff started to land on him, and it took me longer than it should have to work out it was snow. Confused, I glanced up and to my shock, it was snowing inside.

Someone appeared by my side. It was the girl. The one who had created the yellow glow and put Tyne in danger. I hated her already. She claimed that she needed to look after him, yet she had put him at risk.

Watching her every move, I made sure she couldn't hurt him more than she already had. As a result, when she reached out a hand to touch him, I hit it, with the side of my hand. Flinching she retracted her arm and the nerve of it, glared at me!

"What are you doing?" She asked me accusatively.

"Don't touch him." I warned her.

"Don't touch him?" She sounded incredulous. "Why ever should I not?" She snapped back.

"You have done enough already." I told her.

"Done... enough..." she whispered. "I didn't do anything!" She changed to yelling. "And what about you? You can touch him?" She sounded skeptical.

"Yes," I hissed, keeping my answers short and to the point, lest I let my anger control me and take a swing at her face.

"Pray do tell why?" She sounded curious, but I knew better.

"Because he is mine," I told her, firmly. With that, I scooped him back off the table and started back to his chambers. "Someone get a healer," I commanded.

"YOURS!?" She screamed at me. "YOURS?!" She sounded livid. But I could not bring myself to care. Not when Tyne was unconscious in my arms. So I kept walking. I kicked the door open and let it swing closed behind me. A few seconds later and a maid joined me, opening doors as we went. I payed her no attention.

The silence was good as it gave me time to ponder upon what was wrong, but I knew it wouldn't last. The maids were always nosey.

"Beggin' your pardon sir, bu' wha' 'appened to 'im?..." a few moments of silence passed, I hoped she would get the message. "Ay?" She prompted instead, missing my message by a mile. I huffed and looked up at her at last.

It was Mary. Although that wasn't much of a surprise, her accent nearly always gave her away; only a few maids had her accent.

"Mary, be quiet!" I snapped, she fell back into silence. Again a few moments passed, and then she opened her mouth again.

"Bu' I'm only askin' because we are friends. I jus' want to know." She told me.

"I will not ask you again Mary. Cease to speak." I growled.

I expected her to shut up from then onwards. But I was wrong.

"I though' you loved 'im." She said. Cleary news of this had gotten around somehow.

"I do." I replied.

"Then why is he unconscious?"

"Because! because, I couldn't stop him, not this time." My voice trailed into a whisper.

"Y'know, its probably no' my place to say, bu', I think he-"

"Mary, hold your tongue." I commanded.

She lapsed into silence, finally getting the message.

"If its not your place to say it, do NOT say it." I scolded her.

But internally, a little voice was screaming: 'what?! What?! What?! WHAT?! What do you think he does? tell me. TEEEEELLLL MEEEE!' Another voice screamed at it to shut up. Thankfully, it obeyed.

Eventually we reached his chambers. I had chosen the ones opposite my own to keep him close. But I only slept in them when it was late and Tyne had fallen asleep. Then I would creep out, across the hall to my own bed. Don't get me wrong. It was comforting sleeping with him, but inappropriate.

Right now I gently placed him on his bed. I sat beside him, gently rubbing his arm in a attempt to get some warmth into it. He stayed freezing.

Suddenly, the door flew open. A healer bustled in. She was the one that usually patched me up. She waddeled over to the bedside and started poking at Tyne. I sighed, already tired of her. Instead I wandered over to the door and let myself out, to go to my bathroom and take a shower.

By the time I was ready to re-enter the room, she had a cloth on his forehead and something wrapped around his bicep.

"Oh good, you're back." She didn't exactly sound happy to see me. I ran a hand through my slightly damp hair.

"How is he?" I queried, nodding at Tyne.

"Oh, I am sure he will be fine," she briskly told me. "Now you need to lie down." She told me, trying to steer me towards the bed.

I stood still. "Why?" I demanded.

"Have you seen yourself?" She asked. I glanced in a nearby mirror. "You look awful."

She was right I did look awful. I was paler than usual and looked ill. My eyes had bags under them that I am sure were not there this morning. She lead me to the bed and settled me down, next to Tyne.

She then proceeded to fuss about me. It was increasingly annoying. Eventually I shrugged her off me.

"You're right."

She announced. "You need to sleep." With that she picked up her bag and bustled out again. I closed my eyes to sleep, but to no avail.

Tyne shifted and whimpered slightly in his unconscious state. I looked him. Even now he was till beautiful. The light cast shadows under his eyelashes, it danced along his cheekbones and shone through his hair, turning it to gold. He whimpered again, and for a moment his perfect skin scrunched up. Before I could register what I was doing, I had taken him in my eyes and folded him in close.

He snuggled closer and didn't whimper again. I burried my face in his hair, and eventually sleep took hold of me and I went willingly.

 _-Tyne_ _'_ _s point of view-_

I don't know how, but I know I'm not just asleep. Unconsciousness and I have become quite the acquaintances. I sighed, inwardly of course. I missed Rowan. How long would I be gone for this time? I wondered.

The swirling dark abyss scared me a little as I had no idea where it would lead, or if it would lead anywhere at all.

Randomly, Mary's advice came drifting back to me. "Be mysterious. They always stay longer."

I hadn't been very good at that. It just wasn't natural for me. I think that it was the mysterious dark pit that made me think of her advice. It was dark and I could not possibly tell what lay beyond it.

I could not help but think that if I was that mysterious then he would keep me around for longer. Keep looking after me. Maybe, just maybe, if I was more interesting and not so down right honestly boring than he might fall in love with me. But I suppose thats too much to ask for.

That he, a winter prince could fall in love with me, when compared to him, I am nothing.

These thoughts made me depressed, as I realised the impossibility of my situation.

I felt cold. So very cold, right to the core, which is not something I experience often. I wanted to search for warmth, but here, in this endless nothing, I don't think there is anything warm. Not any more at least.

As I drifted, as that is the only thing this can be described as, something changed. I don't know what, I imagine something going on in the conscious world. I got warmer. I know that doesn't sound strange, but here warmth is something unheard of. Every time I have been here, I have felt this cold, but now there is something else at work.

I felt warmth coming from a certain direction. I start to try to paddle my way over, but it doesn't work. Eventually I use breaststroke and it works wonderfully. When I finally get close to the source of the warmth, something else happens and suddenly I am no longer in the dark.

I am in my bed curled into Rowan, who is sleeping with his face hidden in my hair.

I am beginning to wonder what I mean to him, slowly I bring my eyes up to his face. His eyes are firmly closed, but after a few seconds they snap open, and met my own…


	14. Chapter 14

_-thanks to my lovely beta, without whom, this would not be possible! Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome- especially when together ;) Also I'm sorry for not updating earlier! Family stuff got in the way, anyways, ENJOY!-_

...

There was a small pause. I wondered if he had been asleep or just closing his eyes.

"Do you ever sleep?" It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. Thankfully, he smiled.

"Sometimes." He was smirking at me. I had a sudden urge to just lean in and kiss him, but I had the feeling that wouldn't go down well. I resisted it. That's when I realised, he was being mysterious, he said sometimes, leaving me to ponder upon when and how often, and where. He never sleeps in this room, with me. I wonder if he leaves once I have fallen asleep, or if he just gets up really early.

Oh look! It works, being mysterious. I literally just fell for it... after recognising what he was doing...I don't think I'm very good at this. My turn at being mysterious. Maybe I will just get up and walk away. See what he says then.

No. No that is an awful idea. I need to think deep. If only he could ask me a question, then I could give a vague answer.

"Watcha thinking about?" He asked, right on cue. Unfortunately I had nothing ready to say back.

"Nothing." I panicked. That wasn't mysterious. Not even a little. Just made me sound like an airhead.

"Really, you feel contemplative?" He asked again. I took a moment to steady myself.

Take two, "Oh well, Y'know this and that." Now that didn't really make sense. But it was vague and didn't make me sound stupid, God knows I do that well enough, without adding the stress of trying to be mysterious to it.

"An example of which would be...?"

Ahhh, well at least I have a third chance. Here's my chance for an answer that's not an answer. To not look like an idiot and keep him guessing and interested in me. So he won't wander away, like Mary warned he would.

"Nothing pressing." Well... I'm getting better... no that's it. That's the only good thing about saying something like that.

"Tyne?"

"Hmmm?" I looked over at him. He was suspicious. I could tell, but I would be to if I had been on the receiving end of my failures at being mysterious.

"What's going on?"

"Urm..." think Tyne think! "Just... stuff..." Stuff! Stuff?! What am I saying? I'm soooo not good at this. I wonder if Mary would give me lessons. Maybe even give me a few sentences to try out.

"Okay." He replied, sitting up against the headboard and pulling me onto his lap. "Spill." It was simple enough. But I couldn't tell him I was trying to be mysterious to make him love me.

"Anharlia." It was the first thing that came to mind. But hey, it worked.

"Anharlia?" He pronounced it slowly and skeptically.

"Mmm hmmm." I replied.

"Well, what about her?"

"Her... actions, earlier." I was stuttering and basically doing anything else that made it obvious I was lying.

He raised an eyebrow.

"When she conjured the gold, and... I mean... I didn't know she could... do that." I stuttered. Not very believable at all.

"Sweetheart, tell me the truth." He whispered pulling me closer. I was now sitting upright leaning up against him.

"Someone told me," I began, so far so good. "That I should be mysterious in order for you not to get bored of me." It was the truth, which is what he asked for, but, I hadn't told him who, which protected Mary.

"Who said that?" He demanded

"Just some passerby." I replied, hopefully he wouldn't try to dig deeper.

"Right..." he muttered, "well, I like you for your honesty." He told me.

"Oh," I whispered unsure of what else to say.

I struggled upright, but Rowan wasn't having it. He pulled me back down firmly into him. Relaxing I felt my eyelids flutter closed. I felt content.

...

A rapping at the window awoke me hours later. My back was cold and although I was tucked up under the covers- no doubt Rowan's doing- my entire body felt chilly. I crept to the window, nervous of it after the evil-cat-that-wasnt-a-cat incident.

A girl sat huddled on the window, her bright red hair framing her face. Her eyes looked wild. It took a few seconds for it to clock that this was Anharlia. I tugged at the latch, to my surprise the window opened. Anharlia dropped down into the room. For someone I associated with calm and dignity, she looked the opposite. Her hair was unruly, her green eyes reminded me of the sea before a storm and when she dropped into the room, she wobbled without her usual grace.

"Are you okay?" It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. That seemed to be happening a lot recently and it made me wonder if maybe I should think about getting my voice its leash back. I walked into the centre of the room.

"I'm fine." She sounded strained. "But what about you, locked away in this room?" She demanded, gently touching my cheek, constantly reminding me of a mother I'd never had.

"I sort of like it here. I think when I get, well, a little less of a liability then they'll let me out. I think that they think that they are protecting me. I guess they are." I replied.

"Well... what about the ghastly guy I saw earlier?" She asked.

"Um... you mean, who exactly?" The only truly horrid person I could think of was the Queen, but that was not something to be said aloud.

"The arrogant one."

"Yeah, you're gonna have to be more specific." I think all of them are arrogant, but again thats something for my head, and my head only.

"The tall dark one?" I said nothing. She needed to be even _more_ specific. "The devilishly handsome one." At this point I had my lips very tightly closed. If I guessed it was Rowan, well, she might question my sexuality and even I wasn't sure what that was! Hmmm, no keeping my lips zipped. "Hhhhhhh," she huffed "the one you ran to, in the court room."

Ahhh, So it was Rowan she was talking about, "oh, you mean Rowan?" I asked still faking innocence.

"Yes." She abruptly replied. "You're on a first name basis?" She inquired

"Yeah, he's a friend." I answered.

"A friend? A FRIEND!?" She sounded incredulous. "If he was a friend then he wouldn't keep you locked up here!"

"He doesn't have a choice." I was swift to bat away her accusations.

"He is the second son of Mab, of course he has a choice!" She exclaimed.

"Not if his mother ordered him not to." I was feeling like I was clutching at straws, but she was being unreasonable.

"Have you not wondered if he is just pretending to be your friend, so you behave and don't try to run away?"

"No." Was my instant reply. "He wouldn't do that to me!"

"Except, he would. And you know that." She was falsely accusing him of something he hadn't done and she had no evidence for. I could feel my anger rising. Somehow she sensed it, but thought it was for the wrong reasons. "See, you know he did, I can feel you getting angry at him." She crooned at me.

"No." I snapped, my anger boiling away in me. "Its you I'm furious at." She looked shocked. "Stop telling me he has done things when I know that he hasn't. I am his friend." I was shaking. But now the seed of doubt had been planted and I was wondering if it would grow.

She went to open her mouth, but footsteps in the hall outside made her freeze. Then she was gone. The window clattering closed behind her.

Rowan threw open the door.

"I heard raised voices. Where is she?" He demanded, I hadn't even realised I had been yelling.

"Not here." I replied. I couldn't tell him, I couldn't endanger like that.

Rowan glanced at me, did a double take and walked up close.

"Why are so angry?" It was a simple question.

I shrugged, turning I tried to walk away. He caught me by my shoulders.

"Tyne?"

I shook him off. Or at least I tried. He swept me up and carried me to the bed. I tried to contain my fury, but it was like a caged animal, just waiting to spring free and bring down its wrath and ruin. He sat down next to where I lay. Waiting. He waiting ever so patiently for an answer.

"Nothing." I finally said. It probably made no sense.

"Why are you furious with her?" Okay, so he wasn't dropping the fact it was her.

"She just, just, jumped to conclusions. Wrong conclusions. She wouldn't accept the truth." I wanted to bury myself in Rowan. Scrap that, I was _going_ to burry myself in him.

"What'd she say" he asked. I noticed with me he used slight slang, abbreviating words he normally wouldn't.

"Nothing." I whispered, my voice muffled as I had my face turned into his lap. He sighed, unconvinced, and ran his fingers through my hair. My anger began to disperse.

"Tell me." It was a whispered growl that sent shivers down my body.

"Accused you of stuff." I replied almost instantly.

He snorted. "Really?" He sounded amused "that's it."

"Yes." I snapped. My anger that had been slowly ebbing away returned "what do you mean, 'that's it'!" I did a terrible impression of his voice.

"You don't need to leap to my defence."

"So? You would do the same for me."

"Yes but that's different."

"How?" I demanded

"I don't need defending. I can look after myself."

"And I can't?" My voice rose a few octaves.

"Well, no." He was as blunt as ever.

"I'm not a china doll." I snapped, leaping to my feet and storming towards the bathroom.

I was almost there when he put himself in front of me, blocking my way.

"Move!" I growled, trying to shove him. But it was like trying to move a block of concrete out of the way when it was wedged firmly in the ground; impossible, ridiculous, and a bad idea and made you look weaker. Weak wasn't a look I was currently going for.

He grabbed my wrists, stopping me from causing myself further embarrassment. I huffed wrenching out of his grip, turning my back on him and folding my arms as I did so. He sighed, his arms slid around me, "I'm sorry baby." He whispered.

I knew was supposed to reply, but my mind was stuck on one word. Baby. He had called me baby. Did that mean he loved me back? Or was it just his way of saying I _was_ weak? Whilst my mind was floundering over that one word, he was able to turn me around and look me in the eyes. His deep blue eyes stared down into my soul and I had I not been so hung up on the baby thing, I would have been reduced to squirming.

"Baby?" I whispered. It was a question not only of what he meant, but also what he felt. I wasn't sure he knew.

He smirked "mine." He growled in my ear. I shivered. Looking up at him as my mouth dropped open in surpirise. Apparently he had known.

He loved me too.

I have no idea what he saw in my eyes, but he leaned closer.

"All mine." He growled again, this time I shuddered. My mouth worked but nothing came out.

His eyes fell to my lips.

With a predatory look in his eyes, he watched me shiver. Then slowly, he leant down and placed his lips on top of mine...


	15. Chapter 15

-Thankyou to my lovely Beta, without her this wouldn't be possible! Please remember that reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome, especially together! Now without further ado, Rowan and Tyne!-

Rowan was kissing me. It took a few moments for my mind to adjust and realise this, and by that stage he was pulling back. Letting out a little whimper, I spun around and I threw my arms around his neck in an attempt to encourage him to keep going. It failed spectacularly.

He laughed **,** leaning back. Scowling **,** I decided that the best course of action would be to punch him in the stomach. Not too hard, but enough that he got the message - I HATE being laughed at. I swung my clenched fist into his stomach. He made an ooff sort of a noise, which satisfied me greatly.

"Baby?" He phrased it as a question. Huffing **,** I turned around again, folded my arms and began to walk off again. "Come here." He told me, grabbing my arms and spinning me around. Needless to say I wasn't impressed.

"What?" I irritability.

"Love you?" Again it was phrased as a question.

"Yeah yeah you too." I sounded 100% done. I liked it.

"Good **,** " He whispered, leaning forwards and pulling me close. He looked down at my lips again. I shivered. It seemed to be a reflex, shivering when he looked like that at me. I moved my eyes down so I was staring at his chest, I felt my face flare up. Rowan cupped my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes. I was sure that now I was beetroot red.

He smirked at me, I closed my eyes.

The next thing I knew was heat. His lips were on mine. I gasped and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into my mouth. He massaged my tongue with his own drawing undignified noises from me. I whimpered again. I wrapped my hands around his neck. He's doing this thing with his chin. Moving it up and down and pressing in to me whilst he pulls at my hair.

I moan and press closer, he picks me up around my waist and carries me to the bed, all the while peppering me with kisses.

He throws me down on the bed and before I can move he straddles me.

I try to grab hold of him, needing something for support but he grabs my wrists and pins my arms up above my head. He leans down and starts kissing me again. He's rough but gentle at the same time. He bites my bottom lip when I don't open my mouth fast enough. Once I do, he changes his mind and instead continues to bit my lips. They're going to be bruised tomorrow.

He lets go of my wrists in favour of grabbing my hip **s** and tipping my face up to him. I instantly take hold of his shoulders. He slips his tongue back into my mouth and I let out another noise, even though I'm trying not to. He trails a hand down my side and I shiver again.

Suddenly the door flies open, but Rowan keeps kissing me. I flush as I know that they will be watching. Someone clears their throat. Rowan holds up a finger and kisses me deeply once more. Then he sits up and faces them. He's still straddling me. I try to calm my heart and slow my breathing but whilst he was kissing me I hardly had time to breathe, so I'm panting.

"What?" He sounds annoyed but looks perfect. Not a single hair out of place. Typical. I myself was panting and no doubt flushed. I was a mess. But I wasn't surprised. Rowan still hadn't got off me, but I was sort of glad as it offered me some protection from their gaze.

I still didn't know who they were, as Rowan was in the way, but by the way he was talking to them I guessed that they couldn't be important. However **,** the second they started to speak I recognised their voice.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Sage exclaimed. I winced.

"Tyne." Rowan replied dryly. I planted my fist in his stomach. He laughed and rolled off me. Feeling ever so awkward I propped myself up on to my shoulders. Sage caught my eye. I flushed red.

"Rowan, a word. Please **,** " Sage snapped.

"Fine, fine **,** " Rowan muttered. He got off the bed, leaving me alone with Sage's glare. I cringed.

I could hear them muttering, a few times I heard my name mentioned. Then Rowan hissed something angrily. Sage sneered as he replied. Rowan swung a fist into his brother's face. Sage's nose made a nasty cracking sound, blood poured out. Rowan took hold of Sages collar and literally threw him out of the door.

"Why did you do that?" I asked confused

"He was rude about you." Rowan replied

"Oh." I whispered.

Rowan climbed back on the bed and pulled me on to his lap. I was facing him.

"Where were we?" He murmured. Then he took hold my cheek and cupped the back of my neck. "Oh yes," his voice was husky. "I remember." Then he kissed me again. I whimpered and he pushed my body back down into the bed.

He reached down and tugged at the hem of my shirt. I lifted my upper body off the bed and he pulled it of **f**. He ran his hands over my chest. My breath came in short quick pants. He leant down and continued to kiss me. I whimpered and he increased the pressure. I was sure my lips would be bruised. Suddenly he sat up, but only to pull off his own shirt. He had a perfectly sculpted body.

His abs were rock hard, his pale skin was flawless and he was obviously muscular. I gazed at him for as long as he let me. He was smirking.

"Like what you see?" He asked teasingly.

I thumped him, then I pulled him back down on top of me and we resumed our kissing. He was smiling against me.

The door flew open and Rowan jerked upwards. "Mother." He greeted Mab formally. The knights surrounding her had trouble hiding their shock.

"Rowan, Sage has informed me-" She began.

"Traitor **,** " Rowan hissed under his breath.

"That you are partaking in, unsavoury, activities." She continued either disregarding his comment or not hearing it.

"If you mean kissing my boyfriend, than yes I am." Rowan snapped. Mab stiffened.

"Boyfriend?" She sneered.

"Yes, why does that _displease_ you?" It was Rowan's turn to sneer. I sat there awkwardly. Not saying anything, and casting my eyes around the room in search of my top. I was aware how skinny I must look next to Rowan. Unfortunately I couldn't see my top, I wondered where Rowan had thrown it.

"Yes, yes it does." She replied with an air of self importance. She assumed that Rowan would just instantly break up with me. My eyes suddenly widened and I wondered if perhaps he would.

"Bad luck." Rowan snapped. "Now you're here, you've seen Sage wasn't lying and now you can leave. Or stay. I don't care." With that he took hold of me again pressing his lips into mine. I heard the door slam and guessed the Queen had taken the former suggestion.

I let him roughly kiss me for a few minutes, but then I pushed him away.

"What?" He asked confusion tinging his voice.

"I don't think its a good idea to antagonize the Queen." It was simple enough. Antagonizing her would be a very unfortunate thing to do. I was sure that if Rowan hadn't been her son, she would have had him beaten. I almost winced at the thought.

"That's it?" He asked still sounding bewildered,

"Yes Rowan. Look you are her son, she can't really do anything to you. I'm not. I don't know if she has Anharlia. If she does and I upset her, she will hurt Anharlia. I can't let that happen. I don't want to hurt her. I don't want to be hurt." It was a bad explanation, but I had only ever been in one other relationship. It had ended very badly and I didn't want to be hurt like that again.

Also if the Queen did have Anharlia, then I couldn't annoy her or she would hurt Anharlia. After all the years Anharlia has looked after me, I feel it would be a poor way to repay her.

"She doesn't have Anharlia." Rowan replied. "And I will not let my mother hurt you."

"It **'** s not just her I'm worried about." I whispered it and didn't really mean for him to hear, but he did.

"You honestly believe that I might be able to hurt you?" He asked suspiciously.

"Well..." truth be told, I wasn't sure,

"Wha- baby!" He sounded hurt.

Finally I spied my shirt on the floor, half hidden under the bed. "I'm sorry." I whispered. I hadn't meant to hurt him. But it wasn't good to get in too deep too quickly. That's exactly what we had been doing and I had learnt my lesson the first time around.

Quickly getting to my feet **,** I swept it up off the floor and struggled into it. Rowan pulled a hand through his perfect hair, dishevelling it. Swiftly, I walked to the window. My days of barricading myself in the bathroom were over. I was bored of hiding behind a closed door. But I needed some space.

Apparently Rowan disagreed as a moment later he was at my shoulder, still topless. He put his arms around me, cuddling me too him.

"Was I going too fast?" He inquired.

"Yes **,** " I replied. "We can't go fast, or we will break up." I told him. It was true. It had happened this way with Mac, so it would happen with Rowan too.

"You really think that?" He sounded incredulous,

"Yes." I sounded indignant.

"Wha- who told you that?" He questioned me.

"I wasn't told, but it happened with Mac."

"Whose Mac?" He sounded suspicious

"He was..." how do I describe Mac? I met him in one of my rare expeditions into the Wyldwood. It still hurts, thinking about him, so I try not to. But he was, amazing. He had bright red hair and sorrowful deep brown eyes. He made me feel special and happy. And he meant so much to me. Eventually I answered. "... he was my world."

Rowan spun me around as my voice cracked.

"And he broke my heart." I was whispering now. I couldn't do anything else. Rowan looked furious and I wondered what I had said wrong.

 _-Rowan's point of view-_

The idea of someone hurting someone as sweet and honest as Tyne was unthinkable. It **'** s like kicking a puppy. You just shouldn't do it. If I ever found that Mac guy, I would kill him for hurting Tyne.

Tyne seemed so certain that we would break up if we did the same things he and Mac had done. But I know we wouldn't. I love Tyne so much and not being with him would kill whatever little is left of my frozen heart. In this moment I just want to fold him into my arms and never let go.

He looks nervous, depressed and crestfallen. I pulled him into me. He whimpered, and I held him tighter, relaxing a little when he clung back onto me. Snuggling deeper into my arms, I carefully threaded my fingers through his hair. Then I scooped him and carried him to the bed. I sat with my back against the headboard and Tyne in between my legs. He cuddled into me.

"Tell me about him." I was curious and could sense that he wanted to talk to someone about this guy.

"Well, he, I. I mean, what do you want to know?" Tyne stuttered out. I gently pulled him back, closer, into me.

"How did you meet?" I figured it was a good place for him to start.

"Anharlia had friends over and had kicked me out of the house for a bit. She didn't really ever see them any more, she was really excited. Anyway, so I got bored of being in the briars and ventured out into the Wyldwood. I was messing around and not really paying attention. So when I heard him, it was too late to run. He was next to him, and offering his hand to shake. He was really friendly, at first."

I hummed slighlty showing my displeasure at the line 'at first' it was obvious something went wrong. No one in the Wyldwood was friendly. Over than maybe Tyne, but he always struck me as a more suspicious sort of friendly.

"We started to talk. He asked me a lot about myself and when I asked him something he was very good at twisting the question back to me without really answering it. I mean I was curious about him, but no one had ever really asked me such questions before."

He sounded suspicious. In fact I'm surprised Tyne didn't pick up on that, usually he is quite a good judge of character.

"After a while we agreed to met up again the next day. I kept going back and he was always there waiting for me. One day he just sort of, kissed me. We went quite far, but then I stopped him. He called me a prude and walked off. I ran home. I waited there all day the next day and continued doing that for a month, but he never came back. We had only being seeing each other for two months before he kissed me then left. I haven't seen him since. I think I must have really upset him **,** " Tyne finished.

There were tears gently rolling down his face. With a feathe **-** like touch, I brushed them away.

"No baby." I whispered. "You didn't do anything wrong. You stopped him because you didn't want to and he left you for it. I think that it makes it obvious what he was after." I phrased it carefully as I didn't want to upset him anymore. But he needed to know the truth of what that guy probably wanted.

"Oh." It came out a whimper and more tears followed down his cheeks. He cuddled him into me.

"I'm sorry my little one **,** " I murmured.

"So if that's what he wanted with me, what do you want?" He looked wary of me.

"Me?" I asked, he nodded, "I love you, I would like to have you return that love." I replied.

He nodded seemingly satisfied and snuggled into me. I gently rubbed his back.

Eventually I could hear the soft sound of his breathing, he was asleep.

If I found Mac I would kill him.


	16. Chapter 16

-Thank you to my lovely Beta, without her this wouldn't be possible! Please remember that reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome, especially together! this chapter will be a little shorter I'm afraid. Now without further ado, Rowan and Tyne!-

 _-Tyne's point of view-_

When I woke up **,** I was still on top of Rowan. He still had his arms wrapped tightly around me and if I strained **,** I could hear the soft sound of his breath. I wanted to lie back into him and go back to sleep **,** but a tapping on the window stopped me. I supposed it must have been the noise that awoke me in the first place.

Getting carefully to my feet, I cast a quick glance back at Rowan. Luckily he was still fast asleep. I scampered over to the window and saw Anharlia. Glaring in at me she quickly gestured for me to open my window. Silently **,** I flicked open the latch. Anharlia flew into the room. She was halfway across it and about to start talking when she spotted Rowan on the bed.

"Y-" she cut herself off. Then she turned and shot me an accusative look. "What's he doing here?" She snarled.

"He's got more right to be here than you do. I mean the palace belongs to his mother." I replied. "Speaking of which, what are you doing here?" I whispered as I tried to change the conversation. I had a feeling that she wouldn't he impressed if I told her that Rowan and I had been... Kissing? Earlier.

"I meant, what is he doing in your BED?!" She raised her voice. I winced.

"Well..." I began but luckily I was saved by Rowan, who had just woken up. Unfortunately **,** this as he sat up his eyes instantly fell upon Anharlia and I.

In a second he had a knife -God knows where he got it- in his hand and was across the room pointing it threateningly at Anharlia.

"Well isn't this a nice surprise?" He sneered. I cringed.

"Tell me what you were doing in his bed?" Anharlia demanded.

"Sleeping with him **,** " Rowan replied.

"What do you mean sleeping?!" She sounded incredulous.

"Relax. We just slept." Tightly gripping her arm, I tried to calm her down.

"And kissing." Rowan ever so helpfully replied. I resisted the urge to punch him. Recently I have become increasingly violent. I blame it on Rowan.

Anharlia looked like she was about to scream.

"Why don't you come with me?" Rowan crooned keeping the knife pointed at her throat.

"I'd rather not." She deadpanned. Rowan went to move forward, but I had been anticipating the move. Before he could get any closer, I planted myself between them.

"Rowan." It came out as a sort if plead.

"I love you sweetheart," he told me and I felt my heart leap and flutter. Silently I told it to stop being ridiculous. This was not the time for romantics. "But move out of my way." He finished.

"Rowan she's my sister **,** " I begged.

"She's not **,** " He snapped.

"Why?" I whimpered. "Why do you want to hurt her?"

"I..." he paused -thinking. Apparently he hadn't thought about that. "My mother-"

I cut him off "since when do you care about her?" I asked,

He scowled "I do care. Sort of. Besides she has ordered us to seize HER" he gave a vicious jerk of his head at Anharlia "the second we see her. Not trying could be considered treason."

"Well you've tried. Now you can stop." I grabbed the knife from his hand. He glared at me, but to my surprise he grabbed me by my waist and pulled me forward. I burried my face in him.

Anharlia edged towards the window and was almost there when the door flew open.

Sage stood framed in the doorway the light from the hall shining around him creating a halo around him. I almost laughed at how misleading it was. Something flew from his hand just as Anharlia leapt onto the ledge. It struck her in the chest, and for a second time shefroze, her eyes wide and her mouth open in shock. I felt like I couldn't breathe and then she screamed, falling down.

I screamed too. Desperately I tried to get to the window, but Rowan held onto me. Large tears streaked down my face. I scrambled out of his arms and reached the ledge. Peering down. I could see her broken body on the ground. I stiffled another scream and clamped a hand over my mouth.

My sister, my only family, my only true friend for so long, was dead.

My grief was indescribable. Rowan tried to grab me, but I pulled back out of his grip. Guards poured into the room and following them came the Queen.

I felt rage bubble up inside me and I leapt at her wanting to hurt her, to cause her as much pain as she had caused me. If the Queen hadn't have ordered for Anharlia to be taken then she wouldn't be lying on the ground unbreathing and unfeeling.

Unfortunately before I could claw at her, something grabbed me and pulled me away. Rowan wrapped me in his arms and although I struggled I couldn't break free. The Queen merely raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at us.

"Forgive him mother, he acts only out of grief for the death of a friend so close they were family," He informed his mother.

Otto, my loving and ever loyal companion, had returned. He sometimes vanished off, but it was only for a few hours and he always returned. He nudged at my hand, and I brought him into my arms, still clinging to Rowan though. I was glad he was back and managed a small smile through my tears.

"The girl's dead?" She inquired.

"I believe so." Rowan replied ever formal with his mother. It made me want to thump him and scream. She was my sister. My friend. My family!

"The dagger I threw pierced her chest. She would be lucky to survive that. But falling out the window too? She's dead." Sage agreed, looking at me with something akin to pity; I doubted he could actually feel real pity though.

I glared at him.

I glared at the Queen.

The Queen smiled her cold smile.

"Good." She announced suddenly. "With her dead, Summer's heart will be unprotected."

I froze I hadn't thought about that. Without Summer's heart, Summer would cease to exist. Winter would take over the summer land too. Unless, unless Anharlia left the heart to someone. She had to. Otherwise, well I don't want to live in a world without the summer. Or spring, or even Autumn! Without summer, the seasons wouldn't exist!

I bit down hard on my lip as another thought came to me. What if, what if the Queen had known this all along and that's why she had wanted to kill Anharlia. I could taste the copper flavour that was blood in my mouth. My throat was dry. I had to get to Anharlia's body. I needed to see if there was any chance she had survived and what the heart would do next.

Throwing myself away from Rowan, I rushed to the window. Otto called out for me but I simply hurled myself out the window.

As I fell I heard Rowan yelling my name. Luckily the way I had jumped meant I hit the large tree and stopped falling. Momentarily winded I lay where I was. Then the air rushed back into my lungs. I sat up and shuffled along the branch I had fallen a bit further than expected. I dropped out of the tree into a thick pile of snow. Anharlia lay awkwardly, blood pooling around her.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and moved towards her. I could see a soft yellow light glowing through her chest. It was Summer's heart surfacing. I had only been next to her for a few seconds, though it certainly felt longer, before it fully emerged. Gently I scooped it up. It should have been burning me, no one can hold the hearts other than the heart bearers.

I was acutely aware of it throbbing in my hand. I placed against my own chest and to my surprise I felt no resistance.

Anharlia had chosen someone else to bear the heart if she died. And that someone was me.

 _\- AUTHORS NOTE-_

Sorry I haven't updated in so long guys! I've had exams to study for and have only be able to squeeze a few seconds of writing in here and there. I'm still studying so the next chapter may also take a while to come up! But hey, keep reading and reviewing love you guys!

-Kittymagicat


	17. Chapter 17

-Hey guys,

I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've just had so much going on, but now it's the summer holidays, so I should be able to get more done. Thank you as always to my lovely Beta, without her this wouldn't be possible! Please remember that reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome, especially together!

 **-Tyne's point of view-**

For a second I stood frozen in shock but then I heard footsteps. Springing into action, I knew now that in order to survive I had to pretend not to have summer's heart as well, but standing here right next to her body was suspicious. So what if, what if I had never reached her body before the Queen and Rowan got here? Looking up at the tree, I scrambled back up into it and rearranged myself back into the position I was in when I hit it and was winded. I closed my eyes.

"Tyne!" Someone screamed. Well that was simple to work out. Rowan was running towards the tree. I could hear his footsteps getting louder.

"Silence boy," Another voice commanded. That was even simpler to work out. The Queen had joined us. If I strained my ears, I could hear her heeled shoes tapping towards us. Rowan was almost at Anharlia, yet still I waited. The Queen tapped forwards until she too was at the body.

"Tyne?" This time it was uncertain, not screamed desperately.

"Here." I croaked. In all my grief and screaming, my voice was going. I gasped a fake breath and rolled out of the tree. Fortunately Rowan had quick reactions, and he jumped forward to catch me in seconds.

"Anharlia?" I whimpered.

"Shhh," Rowan crooned.

I let tears seep down my face and Rowan cradled me closer. Gently he put me down next to her, and I clung to her as I weeped. Most of this was not acting. Although I had pushed most of my feelings down as they would only serve to cloud my mind and endanger me, they were still there. I still felt her absence like a gaping hole in my heart and in my soul. So I let the tears run and I let my feelings show through, for now.

"Enough." The Queen eventually commanded. "We must dig out summers heart." Scowling, Rowan scooped me up. I struggled but to no avail. He walked backward until his legs met a frozen bench and he sat with me on his lap. Clinging to him, I turned to watch what they did, knowing that the wouldn't find summer's heart there.

A soldier came forward and offered the Queen a dagger. She brought it down in a wide arch into Anharlia's chest. I winced. She cut Anharlia open and eventually reached Anharlia's heart. She ripped it out and tore it open, but where summer's heart should have been, there was now only an empty space.

"The heart has left her!?" Screamed the incredulous Queen, turning to face me, as if I held all the answers.

"The heart leaves as soon as the carrier is dead." I replied through my tears. "Anharlia must have left it to someone, someone far away from you." Even though the tears stills streaked down my face I managed a savage smirk of pure glee. The Queen would never get the heart now, because it was in me and that was something she wouldn't, couldn't expect. How could someone as narrow minded as her ever believe that summer and winter could share the same space?

Maybe Anharlia knew this, maybe she planned it or maybe it was just an accident. But either way I was going to honour her decision, I would keep both the hearts safe from everything I possibly could, and in the end I would die knowing I had done the best I could. So I let the tears stream and I let my smirk stay and I watched the Queen scream in annoyance.

"You know!" She suddenly turned to me. "You know who she left it too!" She wasn't questioning me, she thought she was stating a fact. Technically, she was.

"I didn't know any of Anharlia's friends. She wouldn't let me see any of them. But I imagine she left it to one of them. It will be with them by now, they will be prepared, they will know that you are coming and they will be ready for you." At this point I wasn't even sure I knew what I was saying or that it was making sense.

Rowan carried me away hastily as if he knew that I didn't know what I was saying. He carried me all the way upstairs to my room and laid me on the bed. Crossing the room he looked out the door both ways before firmly closing and locking it. Then he turned to face me.

"You know." He stated.

"No I don't." I immediately denied.

"You don't have to tell me who it is, but, do you know?" He replied. I shrugged nonchalantly. "Tyne. If you know you're in danger. I want to know if you know so I know if I have to protect you more than normal". He argued.

"No one knows who has the heart and neither do I and everyone thinks that I also don't know, but I don't know. If no one knows who knows, who knows who has the heart, then I won't need protection. So if you start protecting me more than normal, isn't that going to be suspicious?" I questioned, enjoying the fact he appeared to be getting vaguely confused by my very long winded way of answering him. When I wanted to be I could be very difficult, only downside is I often end up confusing myself.

"Wha- Are you doing this on purpose?" He asked. Again I shrugged.

"Doing what?" I asked innocently.

"Just tell me," Rowan asked.

"Can't." I smirked.

"So you do know?" Rowan was trying to double guess me.

"No," I replied.

"But you just said- aarrggh!" He exclaimed clearly frustrated. "Please tell me." He tried again.

I beckoned him close conspiringly. He fell for it and leant over me.

"Can't," I whispered, smirking.

He immediately drew back and stalked away. My smirk vanished.

"Where you going?" I demanded.

"Can't tell you." He smirked.

I huffed but got up and shut myself in the bathroom. I heard the window close and lock, footsteps then the door slammed and locked. I peeked out of the bathroom door. No one. Rowan had locked me all alone in my room. I shut the bathroom door again and glared at the bath.

Getting up suddenly, I walked towards the shower, a nice hot long soak should help clear my thoughts. But then another idea struck me. I was all alone, the door and window was locked no one could get in, no one would see me. Time to try out some summer magic!

I tried some simple spells at first the kind Anharlia taught me when I was like, seven. Remembering all the times she had sat me down and patiently taught me magic, smiling whenever I got it right brought tears to my eyes. Blinking them down I focused on my magic. To my utter surprise, summer magic was almost exactly the same as winter magic. Same spell, same way of drawing on magic, same amount of energy used, almost the same feeling. The same tiredness that came from over using magic, same nausea, same tingling. But summer magic felt warmer then winter magic. Which is supposed should have been expected.

Opening the bathroom door, I looked out and to my surprise it was dark outside. I had been practising magic all day. No wonder I felt so exhausted. I closed myself in the bathroom. There was one last thing I wanted to do. Leaning up against the bathroom door, I summoned summer's heart to me. It appeared gleaming in all it glory, almost smiling up at me. I summoned winter's heart too. They sat in palms of my hands not touching, yet.

Slowly and carefully I pulled the two if then together until they were side by side and touching. The soft lights they emitted grew larger, more powerful and stronger. I gazed down at them until my eyelids began to droop then I placed them up against my chest and let them sink back in. I missed Anharlia already. Using summer magic only reminded me that she was no longer with me. Tears began to slowly seep their way down my face, tiring me even more. I couldn't be bothered to move so I slept there, on the bathroom floor leaning against the door as my tears soaked my clothing.

 **-Rowan's point of view-**

If Tyne didn't want to tell me that's fine, its his choice. But I can't lie. It hurt that he still doesn't trust me enough to share that kind of information with me. So before I did something I would later regret, I left locking Tyne in as I went. I didn't want him getting hurt. Scowling I stalked down the corridors until I reached a familiar door. I paused unsure what I was doing here. Then the door swung open revealing Sage leaning against the door frame.

"What are doing little brother?" He crooned in a almost mocking way. I paused again.

"I-" I cut myself off I didn't know. "Move." I demanded, sweeping past him into his room. He must have seen something on my face because he didn't resist. Instead he closed the door behind him and came to stand next to me as I glared at the floor.

"Rowan?" He asked, a hint a concern showing through. I hadn't been here in this manner since, well, its better not to dwell on the past. I pushed down a wave of old emotions and grappled with a wave of new ones. I couldn't force them down. Not when they were all for Tyne.

"Rowan?" He asked again, bringing me out of my thoughts. He was looking expectant, and I guessed he must have asked me a question. "I'll ask again." Sage continued, "Is it about Tyne?"

"Am I really that transparent?" I asked.

"No. Not to others, but you're my brother." He replied. "What's wrong with him, besides the usual I mean." Sage questioned as he draped himself over a nearby chair.

"The usual?" I raised my eyebrow. Sage plucked an apple from a wooden fruit bowl and bit into it, clearly ignoring my question. "I think," I paused wondering if I should tell him. But we had an unspoken rule between us. We don't tell on the others lovers. I could tell him this and be would be bound by are unspoken rule to hold it a secret. "I think he knows who has the heart, but he won't tell me, which makes me wonder if he knows them very well and cares for them. If that's the case then he may have been lying to me the whole time."

"Lying to you the whole time? Why, what has he said?"

"He has no friends except animals. He never knew any of Anharlia's friends. He only ever met one other person besides us and Anharlia in the Wyldwood, and he hates them." I gave him the rough facts.

"Yet he knows who Anharlia would entrust the heart too and probably wants to protect and care for them." Sage looked thoughtful. "I suppose you're against torture?" He asked. I glared. Glancing up, he caught my eyes. "So that's a no. I suppose you're also against spells?" My glare intensified. "What about trickery?" He suggested. I considered it for a second. But I could not break his trust like that.

"No." I replied

"Well then, you're going to have to do one of two things; talk to him, or wait for him to talk to you." Sage replied setting down his apple. It was bright red and had a single bite taken out of it, revealing the startlingly white flesh beneath.

I scowled.

"Never the patient type, are you Rowan? I suppose you will talk to him now?" Sage elegantly stood and brushed past me to hold open his door. A clear dismissal.

I stalked past him. At the last moment I paused and turned to him. "No" I replied, then I was gone, leaving him with a confused and slightly surprised look upon his face. I would not immediately rush to talk to Tyne. I needed to clear my thoughts first, I needed to clear my mind and work out how I was going to question him.

So instead of heading to his room, I vanished into the palace gardens.

-AUTHOR'S NOTE-

Sorry for not writing in so long! I haven't realised how much time has passed. Anyways I hope you enjoyed reading this, I will update again soon so panic not! I love you guys!

kittymagicat xx


	18. Chapter 18

Hey guys,

Thank you as always to my lovely Beta, without her this wouldn't be possible! Please remember that reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome, especially together! I love you all, now enjoy!

 **-Tyne's point of view-**

When I woke up **,** my tears had dried and made me feel sticky. Clambering to my feet, I slipped into the shower, without bothering to remove my clothing (it was already wet) and turned on the hot water. The water hammered out a rhythm on my back, soothing me. But then _she_ came back to the front of my mind and I had to let my tears come once again. I couldn't get the image of her shocked face with a dagger protruding from her chest out of my mind. I struggled to choke back my sobs and eventually gave up.

I don't know what happened, but my legs abruptly gave out and I slid to the floor. My hair stuck to my face and I gasped for a breath that I couldn't seem to catch. It felt like I couldn't breathe, the room started to spin and I felt lightheaded. Panicking **,** I f **l** ailed around but to my ever increasing horror **,** found I couldn't get up. My panic rose.

I managed a half shriek, that was cut off as I had to gasp for air again. I just could not breathe. My lungs started to burn and my eyes were still streaming, my legs felt boneless and my arms I could only fling around. The water made my vision blurry and every time I tired to draw in a breath, the water came too, choking me. I tried to relax, calm myself down, but I couldn't.

Trying to scream again was incredibly difficult and I failed a few times before I managed a short sharp cry. My lungs felt like they were on fire. I was terrified, I couldn't breathe, I kept choking on water, I couldn't move and I couldn't even call for help. I felt totally useles **s** and completely petrified.

Just as I started to gag on water that I had just swallowed -whilst trying to breathe- I heard the bathroom door crash open. A few seconds later and a pair of strong arms lifted me up and carried me out of the water. Before I could catch a glimpse of my saviour, I passed out, my vision going black.

 **-Rowans point of view-**

The palace gardens were rather extensive and I ended up wandering a tad further than I perhaps should have. I had been walking for quite some time before I had decided to just ask him straight up. Just come right out with it. There was no point in wording it in a way to trick or confuse him, for if he were confused, be would just ask me what I meant. Besides, wording it in a way designed to trick him, could be seen as betraying his trust.

After this revaluation, I started to actually take in my surroundings. Whilst I was out here, I might as well make the most of it. Besides, Tyne would probably want some time on his own, I know I would. But then, we are two very different people and he would probably deal with his grief in a very different way to the way I would. So, maybe I should go back up? I mean, for all I know he might be needing someone to talk to or be held by.

As I was humming in deep thought, I almost missed the wolf hurrying along the path. But a huge wolf that I would recognize anywhere as Sage's is quite a difficult thing to overlook.

"Hey!" I called out to it. "What are you doing so far away from Sage? Huh?" I demanded. Usually Sage and his wolves where inseparable. Locking its eyes on mine, it stalked right up in front of me. Then it walked around me, coming to stand by my side. It watched me. Shifting uncomfortably, I went to move away. Immediately, it grabbed a mouthful of my sleeve and started to drag me away.

"Alright then this way it is," I muttered aloud.

It sent me a glare. How a wolf managed to glare is beyond me, but it is Sage's, and glaring is something he does often. The wolf probably picked it up from him.

It dragged me into the palace and up several flights of stairs. Then along the corridor that lead to Tyne's room and my own. It stopped outside his door. You may think me a fool for not realising where we were going sooner, but you have to remember, there are many ways to go anywhere and everywhere in this palace, just because you're heading towards something doesn't mean you're actually going there.

From the route we took, there were many turns and other ways to get to places like: Sage's chambers, the court rooms, the throne room, the kitchens (though why we would be going there is another matter. Maybe Sage could have fallen in a cooking pot) and so on.

I paused, but only for a second before I threw open his door. Sage sat on the side of the bed, he was glaring, again. But that's not what surprised me (though I didn't show it, well I raised my eyebrows, but thats it), what surprised me was that he was running a hand over Tyne's forehead, and that Tyne appeared to be wet.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"Not sure. Found him almost passed out on the shower floor." He replied, almost nonchalantly.

"Fully clothed?" I asked

"Yes." Sage sounded tired.

"That's explains why his clothes are wet too. But that's not quite what I meant. How did you come to find him in the shower? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you did, but how?" I questioned him.

Sage hummed before he replied "I came to talk to you and assumed you'd be here. The bathroom door was shut, so I knocked. I could hear the shower but when I called out, no one replied. Then I heard a sort of, yelp, so I decided to investigate. I announced that I would count down from five and if they still hadn't replied then I was coming in. I counted down, no reply, so in I went and found him choking and gasping on the floor of the shower. He looked like a drowned chipmunk."

I smirked at the mental image. Nodding in acknowledgment, I sat down close to Tyne. Sage stood immediately and I instantly took his place.

"I'll leave." Sage whispered awkwardly, then he turned and strode out, his wolf at his heels.

"Baby." I whispered petting hair. He stirred slightly but didn't wake. "Sweetheart, come on, open your eyes." His eyes flickered behind his lids. I sat back. I should at least find him some dry clothes. Getting to my feet I meandered over to his chest of drawers and pulled open the first one. The clothing looked untouched. It also looked uncomfortable, too big and was definitely not in his style.

No. This wouldn't do. Turning, I strode into my room, across the hall and threw open my wardrobe. I hummed briefly, before pulling out a long navy blue top and a pair of matching leggings. They would be miles too big, but the colours were right and the style was acceptable; they were also softer.

I stalked back into his room, eyeing the bed hopefully. To my disappointment, his eyes remained closed and he didn't stir. Quickly I changed his clothing and put him on the window seat as the bed was soaking wet. Focusing, I froze all the water and then vanished the ice, leaving the bed dry -but stone cold.

I pulled the bell used to call servants and almost immediately one came hurrying into the room.

"Sir." He whispered nodding his head respectfully.

I gestured at the bed, "sort it out."

"Yes sir." He muttered, scurrying to it. He paused. "Forgive me sir, but, what is the problem?"

"Its freezing." I sounded annoyed. Good.

"Of course sir. Sorry sir." He scampered off again, only to reappear with new bedding and a warming pan. He sent me a wary glance as I continued to pet Tyne. I had sat beside him and was sorely tempered to just scoop him up into my arms. He was so small and cold and just plain adorable. Not to mention how gorgeous he was. I pushed his wet hair out of his eyes as the servant hurriedly changed the bedding and placed the warming pan in.

Then it struck me. His hair was wet. That would surely be cold and rather unpleasant and it would soak the bedding -again. I froze the water and vanished the ice from his hair, leaving it bone dry but freezing cold. But it didn't matter too much as I could put him in a warm bed and then his hair would warm up any way.

Am I over thinking this? I have a habit of doing that but I suppose it's better than under thinking things, which Sage sometimes does.

The servant removed the pan. "Sir, th-"

"Dismissed." I didn't let him finish his sentence.

He nodded and bowed as he left. Scooping up Tyne, I gently laid him in warm bed. I hesitated for a second before crawled in behind him, my legs either side of him with his head resting on my chest. I breathed out, Tyne was safe. For now.

No sooner had I closed my eyes, than the door slamming open abruptly woke me. My mother breezed in an ugly scowl twisting her face with Sage trailing behind her. She waltzed over to the side of the bed.

"What's wrong with him?" She commanded to know.

"Quite a lot I believe, but then, we are all flawed." I quipped. She wasn't amused.

"Is he ill?" She ran her eyes over him.

"I don't know mother. He hasn't awoken yet." I sighed.

"You haven't brought in a healer?" She demanded.

"No mother." I felt like I was being scolded. Mother scowled. She motioned over her shoulder and a servant scurried off.

"I thought you loved him. If you do why haven't you brought in a healer?" She goaded.

"I assumed he had just passed out." I refused to rise to the bait.

"Mother, I told you. He just looked panicked." Sage announced, thankfully saving me from more stabbing questions. She shook her head, but before she could begin again the door flew open and a young looking girl rushed in. She hurried a curtsy mumbling:

"Your majesties." As she did so. But she practically ignored us as she scurried to Tyne's side and began her work. After a few minutes, Mother was clearly getting impatient.

"Any problems yet?" She inquired,

"Well, actually no." The healer seemed stumped. She turned to me. "Do you mind telling me what happened. It may help." I nodded at Sage.

"I found him choking and gasping on the floor of the shower. He looked panicked, like he couldn't breathe and he had obviously collapsed." Sage replied.

She hummed then smiled. "Panicked you say?"

"Yes." The queen snapped.

"I believe it was a panic attack than." She smiled. "They can lead to shortness of breath, collapsing and fainting. Just leave him to sleep and he'll wake of his own accord. They can be brought on stress, most commonly the death of a close one, or may-"

"Dismissed." The Queen barked. She fled from the room with a curtsy. My mother glared at him. Then to my surprise she leant down and gently stroked his face. The way she would when she used to wake my brothers and I. I had almost forgotten. But as suddenly her tender mood had come, it left. She slapped him across the face.

"Mother!" I yelled, furious at her. A whimper from my arms immediately drew attention back to Tyne who was blinking widely looking very confused and sleepy. "Baby," I whispered. He turned his beautiful large eyes on me and I almost melted.

"Rowan." He whined snuggling into me. I threaded my fingers through his silky hair, it was warmer now. "What happened?"

"Panic attack." I whispered.

"Not what I meant." He whispered back.

"Sage found you when he was looking for me and got me. I was in the gardens." I explained quickly. He nodded.

"Why does my cheek sting?" He whimpered. I sent a glare at my mother.

"The Queen slapped you." My voice had a bite to it.

She shrugged elegantly and swept out of the room with an effortless grace I could never hope to achieve. Tyne whinned again and I cuddled him closer, shushing him when he tried to talk.

"Rest now little one." I crooned and he snuggled down his eyelids fluttering closed as he drifted off. Finally, I allowed myself to relax.

-AUTHOR'S NOTE-

Sorry. Family issues got worse. But now they will slowly get better. Slowly but (hopefully) surely. On a happier note, we will be seeing more of a softer side of Rowan. I think Tyne has brought out a much nicer side of him.

kittymagicat xx


	19. Chapter 19

p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"-Hey guys, here is chapter nineteen as promised. Shout out to my wonderful Beta! Without her this wouldn't be possible! Also I may or may not write a sequel as this is it... THE END! -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"strong- /strongstrongemTyne/em/strongem'/emstrongems point of view -/em/strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"I blinked my eyes open sleepily. Rowan was snoozing, his face burried in my hair. He was so relaxed and... almost, innocent, like this. The tension that was usually coiled in him was gone and even though he had up guards, the expressions he made were unguarded. He is usually so tense and when we are with other people he is just so cold and harsh, in fact he is practically a different person. I know that he is constantly worrying about me. Maybe he should. I mean look at me now. Secretly harbouring the summer heart and all. I wonder how he would take it if I told him./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"I know that he loves me. When he looks at me, sometimes I feel like my heart is about to stop but I feel like as I'm hiding this huge secret, that I'm in some way being unfair towards him. Maybe I should tell him. I should. I feel so wrong keeping this from him. It is somehow unnatural. I want him to be able to trust me, but to do that he needs to know this, this magic I have has grown stronger. I have more glamour now. But not just Winter glamour, Summer as well as now. But I'm not sure I should./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"I mean, telling him would be unfair because he would have to keep it from his family and then he would worry even more. I know he isn't exactly on the best terms with his family, especially not his mother, but still./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"My sister gave her life trying to protect me. She had risked so much by coming to the castle to 'save' me. In fact she had risked, emeverything, /emshe had played a dangerous game and... she had lost. I would honour her by protecting the heart's with my life. she did. But to protect the heart's I needed to tell Rowan. He would know what to do and what to say, especially if people (looking at you, Mab) came nosing into my business. I think I should tell him. He would want to know. He may not like it, but it's better than not telling him at all./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"I take a deep breath as Rowan stirred./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Hey," I whispered. I think that's a good starting point./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Morning baby," He muttereds, pulling me in closer./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""I, uh, I need to tell you something. But you have to swear on, uh, your life not to tell anyone." I paused "or anything." I added, trying to think of ways he could possibly get around it./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Should I be worried?" He askeds, now fully awake./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Uh, N-yes-No, I don't know." I stuttered, unsure. "Probably." Was my conclusion./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Alright. What is it?" He demandeds./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Swear." I countered./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"He raises his eyebrows. "If this is a joke or something..." he trails off at my serious look. "Alright. I, Prince Rowan of the Unseelie court, second son of Queen Mab do hearby swear, to keep whatever you say next a complete secret from anyone or anything."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Good," I concluded. "I know where Summer's heart is." I just came right out with it. There is no use in beating around the bush./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"Rowan's reaction surprirses me. "I know," He replies. "But where or rather who, has it?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"Wow, he went straight to the- "um, yeah. Well that's the thing. You really won't tell, yeah?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Of course I won't, I swore remember?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Okay, so uh. Me." I stammered./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""You?" Rowan looks incredulous. "You have it?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Uh, yeah, kind of."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"He shakes his head in disbelief./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Fine. I'll prove it." I stated. He raises his eyebrows, again./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"I ignored him in favour of summoning both, yes both, of the hearts to my hands./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"His mouth gapes open in a rare moment of unguarded emotion. I smugly smirked at him. But his face soon turneds to one of horror./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Put them away." He hisses. "Someone might see. You know you can't stay here anymore right? Mab'll find out. She always does. You have to leave. We have to leave. I'm coming with you." He babbles. I blinked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Um. Getting a little ahead of yourself aren't you?" I muttered, surprised at his reaction./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Do you know how much danger you are in?" He hisses./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Well, uh, no. But-" I begin./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""So much. Too much. Every second you spend here is counting down until someone finds out and then what? You want to know what?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""No. Not really." I was close to tears./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Then armed guards seize you and-" he continued oblivious to the state I was getting into./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Rowan stop!" I cry./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"He finally looked up at me. Once he saw how truly terrified I was, he immediately wrapped his arms tightly around me./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""I'm sorry. I'm so sorry baby. It's just, we have to leave," He whispered cradling me close. I made a low whinning noise./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Okay sweetheart, stay here. Okay, I'll be right back." He dropped me from his arms and swept out of the room. I felt slightly shell shocked, to say the least./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"What on earth was I going to do?/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"Luckily I didn't have too long to brood. A few minutes later and he burst back into our room, clutching a bundle. He threw it down on the bed. He grabbed open to large bags and started filling them; he had thought of everything. He wrapped up blankets, food, clean clothing, medicinal supplies, knives, a sword and hundreds of other things. In fact, I was rather amazed at everything he had./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;""Here." He muttered. Throwing me a bag. To my absolute surprise, it weighed barely anything. Pleased with how things were going, he beckoned me to the window, unlocked it and slipped out./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"I took a deep breath. This was it. The day we finally escaped from this horrid place back out into the freedom the Wyldwood offered. I took another breath then I crawled out the window and didn't look back./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"-strongemRowans point of view-/em/strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"Watching the palace disappear behind us as rode fast on the stallions I had chosenstrong,/strong I was hit with a sudden sadness. I know I leftv once before, but then I was betraying my mother, my people and pretty much everything I believed in. But it had been exciting and I hadn't really been thinking. Now I was leaving behind my childhood and a brother. A brother who I loved again, who I had just become close to. I was losing a relationship I had just spent the last decade trying to prepare. It wasn't a good feeling. I was going to miss him, and the palace and the pointless politics. But I had Tyne now. And I would burn down the world to dig him out of the ashes. So I spared it one last glance, then I faced forward and did not turn back./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"But even as my past faded and frayed away behind me, my future had never looked more bright./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"strongem- Author's Note -/em/strong/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"Hey guys, sorry its short but it is the ending! Of course I may right a sequel, but only if enough people ask for one and maybe after my mock exams at Christmas, but a sequel is on the cards. At the moment anyway. You know the drill, please review and remember that constructive criticism is welcome./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"SHOUT OUTS TO: Those people that reviewed, but unfortunately didn't leave their names, also/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"SHOUT OUTS TO: beautyinpain, brookworm and roxy dangerchild and obviously my brilliant Beta: QuillAnd Ink!/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"Love you all,/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 11.2px;"-Kittymagicat/p 


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